Insitutek is now a Certified B Corp

Insitutek are thrilled to announce that we are officially a Certified B Corp.

B Corps are a kind of business that balances purpose and profit, leading the way in using business as a force for good.

As a Certified B Corp, we are now part of a global movement, using the power of business to help build a better economic system for the future: one that puts people and planet at the centre. Already, there are more than 350 B Corps in the Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand region generating more than $7 billion in revenue per annum. Companies include Intrepid Travel, Kathmandu, Aesop, Future Super, Bank Australia, Liberty Financial and Sendle. In the civil engineering and construction sector, we are only the second business in the region, joining one of our clients, Senversa, a professional services firm who provide high-quality technical advice to environmental, geotechnical and waste management projects. We’d love more of industry peers to join us on this journey.

Becoming a B Corp means that we make decisions that make a positive impact across our co-workers, clients, suppliers, community, and the environment.

Why becoming a B Corp is important and what does it mean to us?

Our team at Insitutek has always believed in doing business with a purpose beyond just making a profit, creating benefit for all stakeholders, not just our shareholders – and we mean it! Certified B Corporation (B Corp) status is a rigourous independent global validation that we meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and legal accountability.

• For our clients, that means enabling them to push forward with confidence.
• For our workers, suppliers, and the community we support, that means fostering an environment aimed at making the impossible possible.
• For the environment, that means supporting products and projects that enable low carbon more sustainable infrastructure.

Working in the civil construction space, we recognise that approximately 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from infrastructure construction and operations such as power plants, buildings, and transport. As a Certified B Corp, we are working hard to make our business a part of the solution, not part of the problem.

The civil engineering and construction sectors have a huge role to play in addressing the carbon emissions reductions we need to achieve to minimise further global warming.

Although a smaller business, we recognised we could make an impact in two ways:

• Direct action in how we do business
• Using influence within the civil engineering and construction industries

One example has been the introduction of TERRA-3000®, a carbon neutral, water soluble, non-leaching, safe to handle soil stabilisation solution delivering long lasting soil improvement, a stark contrast to the carbon intensive and environmentally unfriendly lime and cement traditionally used for stabilisation.

Another example has been our support for renewable energy, the poster child of low-carbon infrastructure. Recently, along with 117 other businesses, we have participated in a campaign calling for the Australian government to announce the vision, policies, and investment we need to position ourselves as a world-leading renewable energy exporter.

Our B Corp Journey

Becoming a B Corp is not an easy feat. The B Corp Certification process uses credible, comprehensive, transparent, and independent standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and legal accountability.

We had to complete the B Impact Assessment which measures our performance in five categories (governance, workers, customers, community, and the environment) and maintain a score of more than 80 points. B Corp Certification is administered by the non-profit B Lab. Here is our B Impact score card.

B Corp Certification is a highly selective global status. Companies must provide strong evidence and documentation that reflects a commitment to balancing profit and purpose.

Our B Corp Certification journey has allowed us to grow up and become more mature in how we operate as a business. It has challenged our thinking and caused us to ask some pretty challenging questions of ourselves and our suppliers.

However, it doesn’t end here. Getting the B Corp certification is just the beginning of the exciting news that we’ll be sharing soon. Stay tuned!

If you are interested to explore B Corp certification and are curious about the B Impact Assessment, a very valuable initial no cost self assessment process, let us know. We’d be delighted to share our experiences.