Spey spreads the word about B Corp

Public relations company Spey, founded by Jennifer Robertson, and which has an office in the Port of Leith is helping clients who are already B Corp registered by acquiring the certification themselves – and by launching the industry’s first carbon tracker.

The tracking tool will measure the impact on the company’s carbon footprint of its business activity. It will also help clients to calculate their own and reduce their impact on the planet.

March is B Corp month and Spey have chosen it to launch the tool just as they themselves have reached the end of a two year journey to become certified. This is the gold standard for socially responsible behaviour and also includes social performance as well as truly environmental aims. It includes allowing hours for employees to volunteer as well as counting the emissions attached to travel or production.

Jennifer Robertson said: “Companies spend a lot of time and resources making their products and services as  environmentally friendly as possible, but the carbon impact of the PR activities used to promote their brand and products is often overlooked. That’s where we come in. 

“There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes of a PR agency beyond media relations. We will now calculate the carbon footprint of these activities and recommend ways in which our clients can make simple changes like slow travel and recyclable packaging to using local content creators, all of which reduces carbon footprint.

“We want to go further than delivering quality work and running a business which considers its own impact on society and the environment, we want to help companies using PR agencies to reduce their environmental impact too for a greener supply chain.”

The company celebrated its new status on Tuesday afternoon by inviting speakers from companies who already hold the status, some of whom are clients, to join them at Lind & Lime Distillery in Leith for a discussion about B Corp hosted by broadcaster Stephen Jardine.

Jennifer explained at the event that a lot of the B Corp certification is about process, thinking about the company’s carbon footprint and the importance of travel options. She also explained that Jonny Riggall of Aether is behind doing the measuring and crunching the data “and he makes it work”.