Businesses Prioritizing People and Planet Lead by Example
Companies that place equal importance on people, the planet, and profits are motivating other businesses to adopt similar values.
March marks B Corp month; Certified B Corporations, numbering around 80 in Gloucestershire, undergo stringent evaluation to meet elevated standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
Voices from Gloucestershire's Sustainable Businesses
Greg Pilley, managing director of Stroud Brewery, emphasized the impact of consumer choices, stating:
"Probably one of the most powerful things we can do as individuals is spend your money in the right places for a changing world."
Similarly, Anna McLoughlin, a jewellery maker from the Forest of Dean, advised consumers to be discerning, saying:
"Consumers should not just buy the first thing that pops up onto your phone screen."
Stroud Brewery's Sustainable Practices
Stroud Brewery operates organically, avoiding pesticides and herbicides, and utilizes harvested rainwater to flush its toilets.
Pilley explained their financial approach on BBC Radio Gloucestershire:
"Our finances never come from banks but from community loans, so all the interest we pay goes back into the local community."
He added:
"In this day and age, it is not acceptable for a business to make a profit if it does come at a cost to people and planet."
Anna McLoughlin's Ethical Jewellery Business
McLoughlin creates jewellery in an off-grid, solar-powered studio. Her primary motivation for pursuing B Corp certification was to demonstrate her commitment to environmental and ethical business practices.
She highlighted the certification's role in encouraging consumer awareness:
"The certification encourages people to ask questions, and not just accept everything at face value when purchasing goods and services."
She urged consumers to consider:
"Think about, where has this come from? Who has made it? What is the supply chain to get this product or service?"
Criticism and Response Regarding B Lab
In June 2025, B Lab, the non-profit organization behind Certified B Corporations, faced accusations of "enabling greenwashing and purpose washing by multinationals."
At that time, B Lab stated that over 96% of the companies it certified were small and medium-sized enterprises. It also noted that it had since implemented "more rigorous standards."
Beechurst Serviced Apartments' Sustainable Initiatives
Angie Petkovic, managing director of Beechurst Serviced Apartments in The Reddings, Cheltenham, shared that her business operates on solar power and sources 80% of its products from within 25 miles of the property.
Petkovic also dedicates time to volunteering for charities and mentoring young people.
She described the business philosophy:
"It means we're a business for the purpose, so we're not all about profit and we explain that we are taking care of the environment."
She further stated:
"We are looking after the land and the property that we've got while we're here, and that we work very hard to limit waste in all areas."
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