We’ve released our Nature on the Board Report!
Happy Earth Day from everyone at the Better Business Network (BBN)! To Celebrate, we are pleased to announce that as part of Earth Day we have released our 2024/25 Nature on the Board Report. This annual report outlines the impact and progress we’ve made with Nature on the Board. 👊
What is Nature on the Board (NOTB)?
In January 2024, we followed in the footsteps of Faith In Nature and decided to make the BBN the third company in the UK (4th in the World) to officially add Nature to our Board of Directors! This concept, pioneered by Faith in Nature and the incredible team at Lawyers for Nature and the Earth Law Center, creates a new role within the company which is specifically designed to represent the interests of Nature, all species and the environment in general.
Adding Nature to our Board of Directors means that we have legally enshrined nature in the rules of the company, along with a role on the board and a vote. In UK Law, you can’t have ‘Nature’ on the Board of Directors, however you can have a representative for nature whose role is to ensure the best interests of nature are considered in our strategic decision making process.
Why?
We hoped that through putting Nature on the Board, we would begin to enshrine a decision making process that meant every action we took was considered from all angles and ensure that we are making the best step forward for both the company and the world. We want to be conscious in the way we operate, considering nature and other stakeholders and having an independent Nature Proxy on the Board, was designed to hold us accountable.
We wanted to encourage all staff to consider the impact upon nature and the natural world of every decision, with the ultimate aim of making better informed decisions around the topics that impact nature, our employees, members and stakeholders - ultimately without Nature being required to get involved!
We also hoped that this move would inspire other businesses and individuals to also prioritise nature in their own respective decision making processes and to consider alternative governance models like NOTB in order to get there.
As part of our own NOTB commitments we are legally required to produce an annual report outlining the impact and progress we’ve made with NOTB, of which this is the first one! It has been written by us, the staff, to try and summarise our thoughts on our progress over the past year. We’ve looked at successes and failings with a critical eye and believe we have held ourselves to account.
We’ve also outlined our plans for the next 12 months and how we intend to develop and progress along this journey.
This report was seen in advance by our representative for Nature, Graham Hansen, to ensure transparency, and he has shared his thoughts on the past year, in an unedited response that you can view at the end of this report.
We can't thank our Nature representative Graham Hansen enough for his hard work and effort in helping us to embed this concept into everything we do at the BBN. 🌼
We'd love to know your thoughts on the report, what you'd like to see us do more of in 2025, and how you are going to take action in your business.
We also want to take a moment to shout out the members of our incredible BBN Community who are all doing extraordinary things for the betterment of the planet. This Earth Day we hope to see more companies take similar actions and embed Nature into everything that they do.
💪 Together we can make a positive impact and make the world a better place.
What is the BBN?
The Better Business Network (BBN) is the inclusive nationwide community for purpose driven businesses that want to make the world a better place.
At BBN we are committed to having a positive impact, one business at a time. Whether you’re just starting on your journey or are looking to amplify your impact, we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Our three core pillars are offering Continuous Learning, Community and Collective Action.