Worthing travel company certifies as a B Corporation

Certified B Corporations® are companies that balance purpose and profit and use the power of business to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy. To gain certification, Travel Places had to meet rigorous standards of accountability, and verify its social and environmental performance, the impact of the business on its employees, customers, communities, and the environment.

There are over 1,400 B Corps™ in the UK, including brands such as The Guardian, innocent, Patagonia, The Body Shop and Abel & Cole. Travel Places joins a small number of travel companies to have achieved certification and is currently only the second business travel management company within the B Corp™ community.

Joint Managing Director, Matthew Warren, said of the announcement: “This is an incredible milestone for us at Travel Places, and one that we are all exceptionally proud of. We’ve always been passionate about balancing profit and purpose but by becoming a certified B Corporation® we now have a globally-recognised stamp of these efforts that further strengthens our commitment to contribute to a better, more sustainable future.

“We accept the impact that travel and events programmes can have on our resources, society and the environment. But we also strongly believe that they can be a powerful force for good and we have embraced our responsibility in facilitating that. Becoming B Corp™ marks the start of the next phase of our journey. We’re committed to a path of continual improvement and will keep pushing forward, identifying more ways to support our community of staff, local suppliers and charities, and always striving to make the right decisions to increase our positive impact on the world.”

As a certified B Corp business, Travel Places has been identified as meeting a higher standard of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profits with purpose. B Corp™ certification is a long-term and ongoing commitment and to maintain certification, companies must reassess and reverify every three years.

Chris Turner, Executive Director of B Lab UK, says “We are delighted to welcome Travel Places to the B Corp community. This is a movement of companies who are committed to changing how business operates and believe business really can be a force for good. We know that Travel Places are going to be a fantastic addition to the community and will continue driving the conversation forward”.

“We are pleased to have B Corps of all shapes and sizes as part of our community – from startups to multinationals and across many different industries. Business is a powerful force and B Corps™ demonstrate that you can do good in any sector. Welcoming Travel Places is an exciting moment because they have an opportunity to lead the way within the business travel industry. We and the rest of the B Corp™ community are really pleased to support Travel Places in paving the way for a new way of doing things”.Since committing itself to reaching the standards required by B Corp™, Travel Places has taken a number of steps, which include:

- Investments aimed at reducing its carbon footprint, with modifications to the Travel Places head office, installation of solar panels in 2022 and a switch to electric vehicles.- Becoming carbon neutral by offsetting all the emissions that were impossible to avoid.- Increasing its community involvement, partnering with local charities to fundraise, support and raise awareness.- Improved provisions for staff, committing to paying a living wage, refreshing wellbeing campaigns, communication and benefits.- Development of innovative supply chain solutions and tools to support its clients’ sustainability efforts.- Launch of a training academy, providing increased opportunities for those looking to begin a career in travel.

More information on Travel Places B Corp certification can be found at: travelplaces.co.uk/about-travel-places/our-sustainability-journey/