By Sheldon Desa on April 13, 2021
Over 50 years ago Milton Friedman stated the following in an essay published in the New York Times:
“There is one and only one social responsibility of business – to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits, so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud.”
Since then business has dramatically changed in many ways. Rather than assuming the responsibility of solely increasing their profits, many businesses have adopted a more well-rounded approach without sacrificing profits. The triple bottom line model (profit, people, planet) suggests that businesses are responsible to stakeholders in addition to shareholders. The stakeholders include but are not limited to owners, employees, suppliers, government, and the community.
The following list of BC based companies is proof that genuinely caring for people and the planet can result in sustainable financial success and growth.
Through its core values of temperance, humility, fairness, prudence, and courage, Jelly is committed to giving back to the community and planet through its operations. Becoming a B-Corp in 2018 affirmed many of the values that the Fort Langley-based marketing and PR firm previously held. Since its infancy, Jelly has continuously strived to improve at serving its clients, the community, and the climate. In addition, the company has created conversations and taken action to support underrepresented groups such as women and indigenous people. As a young company already doing great things, expect Jelly Marketing & PR to continue its inspirational work.
Tentree is a Canadian lifestyle apparel brand that originated in Regina, Saskatchewan, and moved to Vancouver in 2016. For every item purchased, Tentree plants ten trees to help restore damaged ecosystems and remove pollution from the atmosphere. The company works with non-profits and hires local experts who help to determine which tree varieties are most beneficial to plant in that region. So far they have planted over 50 million trees (and counting) in seven countries across the globe.
Salt Spring Coffee is a high-quality organic coffee company based on Salt Spring Island, BC. They offer a variety of roasts with beans that are ethically sourced and Fair Trade certified. Since its inception, the company has placed social responsibility and sustainability at the forefront of its business, being recognized as a “Best for the World” business by B Lab (The parent company of B-Corp certification).
SPUD is an acronym for Sustainable Produce Urban Delivery, which nicely sums up the service they offer while paying homage to the potato – a staple of home cooking. While ordering on SPUD.ca customers can find most of the items they would typically find at their local grocery store; but what makes SPUD unique is that all their products are natural, certified organic, or locally and sustainably made. In addition, after placing your order on their website, SPUD.ca, your groceries will be delivered to your doorstep. SPUD makes the world a better place by making sustainable food shopping choices more convenient for the busy urban dweller.
Fresh Prep is a Vancouver-based company that provides customers with the ingredients for quick, easy-to-cook meals. The recipes consist of locally sourced ingredients that are delivered in reusable cooler bags. Since Fresh Prep works with companies across BC and minimizes waste, they are a more sustainable choice than their competitors. Fresh Prep contributes to a more sustainable world by making home cooking (a lower-waste choice than takeout) easier and more accessible through portion-sized ingredient delivery complete with recipe instructions.
While they are based in Gibsons, BC, Persephone Brewing’s beers and ciders can be purchased at many liquor stores across the province. What sets Persephone apart from other brewers is that they thoughtfully produce many of the ingredients on the land of the brewery itself and locally source the rest. Their work with local non-profits and fundraising initiatives make Persephone Brewing an exemplary corporate citizen.
Coast Capital Savings is Canada’s largest credit union and is based in Surrey, BC. By taking a holistic approach to banking, Coast Capital hopes to empower its members to do the same. Coast Capital also invests in local initiatives that focus on empowering and engaging the youth. They have received multiple awards for their initiatives which have positively impacted the community.
Hootsuite is a social media management company whose vision is to revolutionize communication through social media. Used by over 700 of the Fortune 1000 companies and over 11 million users worldwide, Hootsuite is a leader in digital innovation for social platform management. Hootsuite provides users with the ability to seamlessly manage different social media accounts cross-functionally on a single dashboard.
PELA is a Kelowna-based company doing revolutionary work. They are on a mission to remove one billion pounds of plastic from the oceans by creating compostable everyday products such as phone cases and sunglasses as part of their sustainable consumption model. In short, PELA is tackling the plastic pollution problem by transforming waste into eye-catching products that start meaningful conversations.
TELUS is a Canadian telecommunications company that has done a brilliant job of balancing profits, people, and the planet. Through various initiatives and acquisitions, TELUS has become an innovative problem solver in the areas of business, health, social responsibility, and environmental sustainability. By genuinely caring for the environment and giving back to their community, TELUS illuminates what a friendlier, more sustainable future might look like.
For more information on these companies please visit the above websites.