Our Commitment To A Green Future
As many of you may already know, our ethos is to create delicious coffee and do good along with it. We believe that planet, people and profit are all equal when it comes to how we run our business. By focussing on ethical sourcing and sustainable production, we work together with industry leaders to develop new and innovative green practices that benefit not just the consumer but the Coffee industry as a whole.
In 2019, Coaltown became the first B-Corp certified specialty coffee roaster in the UK, which means that we are now morally and legally committed to prioritising responsibility to the environment and society, from the experts who produce our coffee at our roastery to the baristas who brew it.
B Corp Since December 2019
Overall B Impact Score
Based on the B Impact assessment, Coaltown Limited earned an overall score of 98.0. The median score for ordinary businesses who complete the assessment is currently 50.9.
- 98 Overall B Impact Score
- 80 Qualifies for B Corp Certification
- 50.9 Median Score for Ordinary Businesses
Governance 17.1
Governance evaluates a company's overall mission, engagement around its social/environmental impact, ethics and transparency. This section also evaluates the ability of a company to protect their mission and formally consider stakeholders in decision making through their corporate structure (e.g. benefit corporation) or corporate governing documents.
Workers 20.7
Workers evaluates a company’s contributions to its employees’ financial security, health and safety, wellness, career development and engagement & satisfaction. In addition, this section recognises business models designed to benefit workers, such as companies that are at least 40% owned by non-executive employees and those that have workforce development programs to support individuals with barriers to employment.
Community 34.2
Community evaluates a company’s engagement with and impact on the communities in which it operates, hires from and sources from. Topics include diversity, equity and inclusion, economic impact, civic engagement, charitable giving and supply chain management. In addition, this section recognises business models that are designed to address specific community-oriented problems.
Environment 22.2
Environment evaluates a company’s overall environmental management practices as well as its impact on the air, climate, water, land and biodiversity. This includes the direct impact of a company’s operations and when applicable its supply chain and distribution channels. This section also recognises companies with environmentally innovative production processes and those that sell products or services that have a positive environmental impact.
Customers 3.5
Customers evaluates a company’s stewardship of its customers through the quality of its products and services, ethical marketing, data privacy and security and feedback channels. In addition, this section recognises products or services that are designed to address a particular social problem for or through its customers, such as health or educational products and services that improve the social impact of other businesses or organisations.
Our Coffee
Coffee is a complex and diverse commodity traded globally. Some of the best coffee in the world grows in some of the most remote locations. From growing, harvesting, hulling, drying, packing, transporting, roasting and finally brewing. We aim to build direct trade relationships around the globe.
Coaltown has always been focused on accountability and transparency throughout our supply chains. We seek the most advantageous procurement route for the life and sustainability of all projects and we’re committed to reducing our direct impact on the environment.
Sustainability
We prioritise sustainability across our operations. Our cups are fully compostable, sourced from a B Corp partner, Decent Packaging and our coffee bags are fully recyclable. We donate waste coffee chaff and grounds to local gardening groups for composting and educate our wholesale clients on eco-friendly practices. Our roastery runs on zero carbon electricity and our uniforms are made from 100% organic cotton with vegan, phthalate-free inks.
Together, these efforts reflect our commitment to minimising our environmental impact and promoting a more sustainable future.
Our people
We are a Living Wage Employer paying above national minimum wage to our entire workforce. We Champion workplace equality and best practice measures and we have policies that provide extra resources for staff to support their mental & physical health.
Our employment policies provide jobs in the local area and actively encourage people to join a new industry of 5th wave coffee. Our charity work encompasses the local area as well as the UK as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Certified B Corporations, in the simplest of terms, are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.
B Corps are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy.
Society’s most challenging problems cannot be solved by government and non-profits alone. The B Corp community works toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more high-quality jobs with dignity and purpose.
B Corps form a community of leaders and drive a global movement of people using business as a force for good. The values and aspirations of the B Corp community are embedded in the B Corp Declaration of Interdependence.
B-corp began in 2006 with the idea that a different kind of economy was not only possible, but necessary, and that business could lead the way towards a new, stakeholder-driven model. B Lab became known for certifying B Corporations, which are companies that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.
B Corp is Building a movement to change our economic system, and to do so, we must change the rules of the game. B Lab creates standards, policies, tools, and programs that shift the behaviour, culture, and structural underpinnings of capitalism. They mobilise the B Corp community towards collective action to address society’s most critical challenges.
By harnessing the power of business, B Lab positively impacts companies around the world, helping them balance profit with purpose. Together, we are shifting our global economy from a system that profits few to one that benefits all: advancing a new model that moves from concentrating wealth and power to ensuring equity, from extraction to generation, and from prioritizing individualism to embracing interdependence.
The development of the standards for B Corp Certification are overseen by B Lab's independent Standards Advisory Council.
Once an application is submitted for the B Impact Assessment, the first step towards achieving B Corp Certification, Standards Analysts evaluate answers to the entire assessment to ensure the minimum score of 80 points is achieved and that any supporting documentation is provided to verify company claims.
The B Impact Assessment examines a company's impact on their workers, community, environment, and customers. The B Impact Assessment also asks questions about a company's governance structure and accountability. Questions are split into two categories: Operations, which covers a company's day-to-day activities, and Impact Business Models, which awards additional points for business models designed to create additional positive impact. The B Impact Assessment is updated every three years.
