SCC - From ISO to B Corp: An Intro to Sustainability Certifications

This in-person training session is designed to demystify sustainability certifications for Southwark's small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), empowering businesses to understand, evaluate, and strategically pursue the right certifications to enhance their environmental and social impact. Discover how formalising your sustainability efforts can boost credibility, gain market advantage, attract talent, and drive genuine operational improvement within your organisation.

The session will cut through common challenges, offering straightforward advice, practical steps, and showcasing real-world examples to guide your business towards meaningful, verified sustainability.

What You Will Learn:

• Understanding the Business Case: Discover the compelling value proposition for your SME to pursue sustainability certifications.
• Navigating Certification Types: Learn to differentiate between common types, including ISO Management Systems (e.g., ISO 14001) and company-wide performance standards like B Corp.
• Choosing the Right Fit: Gain insights into assessing eligibility, understanding costs, and selecting the most appropriate certification for your business goals.
• Practical Implementation & Ongoing Management: Grasp the day-to-day realities of building and maintaining a certified system, including continuous improvement, regular audits, and impact reporting.
• Realising the Benefits: Explore how certification can enhance market access, boost employee engagement, attract investors, and build long-term business resilience.
• Your Personalised Action Plan: Leave with a concrete, achievable plan outlining your immediate next steps for exploring or beginning your certification journey.

How to Register

Our training sessions are open to all Southwark-based SMEs with fewer than 250 employees. Up to three employees per business are invited to register for each session. In order to join this training, please ensure your organisation has completed the Southwark Climate Collective Registration Form.

Timings

09:15 Arrival - Tea, coffee and pastries provided

09:30 Session Kick-off

11:00 Close

Accessibility: any dietary or accessibility requirements, please contact us at: info@southwarkclimatecollective.co.uk

About the Southwark Climate Collective

The Southwark Climate Collective is a partnership project led by Better Bankside, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and supported by the Mayor of London. In 2024 the project supported 141 SMEs on their net zero journeys, achieving a range of outcomes, from energy savings and increased recycling rates to improved processes and management practices.

In the 2025-6 phase, the project is being expanded to support a wider cohort of SMEs across Southwark to prioritise climate action, through bespoke consulting support, a programme of expert-led training, Carbon Literacy Training and a suite of online resources.

Find out more at: southwarkclimatecollective.co.uk