We make sustainability work for your business.

Sustainability strategy and communications consultancy

This is the crucial decade for the planet and it’s time for all of us to take action. The private sector, made up of companies like yours, has the ability and appetite to make a difference.

Through assessment, planning, and implementation, we help businesses be more sustainable. This creates a positive impact on people and the planet, increases employee engagement, provides competitive advantage, and maximises profits.

More and more businesses are taking a leadership role in making the planet more sustainable, safe, fair and healthy — will you join them?

UK SMEs — small, medium and mighty!

million businesses

0 %

of the business population

0 %

of employment

0 %

of private sector turnover

Source: FSB, 2019

Grain is a B Corp, meaning that we are using business as a force for good. We have committed to positively impact not just shareholders but all stakeholders — workers, communities, customers, and our planet. We also help other companies become Certified B Corporations.

What is double materiality?

Ensuring sustainability strategy success

Setting your sustainability strategy

"The goal of halving global emissions by 2030 represents the absolute minimum we must achieve if we are to have at least a 50 per cent chance of safeguarding humanity from the worst impacts. We are in the critical decade." — Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac, The Future We Choose

The journey towards sustainable business

Our approach starts with an assessment which sets out a path to the plan — your sustainability strategy — and then we support its implementation. Your sustainability goals and KPIs are then assessed regularly, perhaps leading to an even more ambitious strategy.

Whether you already have a sustainability strategy in place or have no idea where to begin, we will guide the way. We start with research into the context for your company, including a materiality analysis to understand which sustainability issues are most important for your business and your sector. We will advise you on which of the many frameworks and standards are most suitable for your company, for example the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, GRI, ISO 14001, becoming a B Corp and joining 1% for the Planet.

Your sustainability strategy will codify the findings of the assessment stage, setting out priorities and baseline metrics. It will define the goals and KPIs to be incorporated throughout the company.

Embedding sustainability

This strategy is not merely a bolt-on, a policy, a new department or role. It should be embedded in your business model — and together we will define how it can create opportunities and reduce risk. Whether the strategy brings incremental or radical change, we can help you build a solid business case for it, combining long-term thinking with short-term gains.

Having a robust sustainability strategy in place will pave the way for everyone in your company to understand its significance. Workshops and training will encourage every individual and team to take the strategy on board, and discover what it means for each function: logistics, product development, client services, finance, R&D, marketing, HR.

Sustainability can be a complex and confusing area, and people are particularly sensitive to greenwashing. No person and no business is perfect, and being honest about that without over-claiming — being authentic about your sustainability journey — will cultivate trust with your stakeholders.

The reassurance of experience

With decades of experience in sustainability, branding, design, marketing, and communications, we put together teams tailored to your business needs. These may include strategists, finance directors, designers, copywriters, and developers. At every stage of the journey, you can rely on our expertise as well as partnerships and referrals for any areas we don’t cover. Your strategy will come to life through campaigns, product design, employee communications, branding, and marketing.

We’re nimble and experienced. We’re here to help you make a difference.

We make sustainability work for your business.

Sustainability strategy and communications consultancy

UK SMEs — small, medium and mighty!

What is double materiality?

Ensuring sustainability strategy success

Setting your sustainability strategy

The journey towards sustainable business

Embedding sustainability

The reassurance of experience

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