Responsible business Manifesto - University of Birmingham

While responsible business research and practice continue to evolve, we have distilled some underlying principles into a 15-point manifesto that will help guide responsible business thinking and combat damaging myths that trap companies in unsustainable habits.

Make profits in pursuit of purpose rather than maximising profits
Profits aren’t inherently irresponsible, but maximising them without considering its broader environmental and societal effects inevitably will be. That’s because such an approach prioritises financial gain over all the other social values and sustainability concerns of your business.
Choose whether to grow or not and minimise any damage of expansion
A business doesn’t have to grow to be successful. But if you choose to, do so responsibly by making sure your growth is balanced with the needs of society and nature.
Balance the interests of all stakeholders and ecosystems, not just of the owners
Responsible businesses engage with their employees, customers, suppliers, communities and wider society to understand and accommodate their needs and concerns as part of their purpose, too.
Use performance metrics that accurately measure impact and align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Only by using such metrics will a business actually improve its sustainability, as well as be more likely to avoid any undesirable or unintended consequences from its activities.
Be fully transparent by using open-access reporting based on the SDGs
Open-platform reporting, like G17Eco, is an excellent way to make a business accountable to all its stakeholders and ensure sustainability standards are genuine and comparable.
Use technology to help avoid triggering unforeseen tipping points in our ecosystems
Responsible businesses need to follow science and make use of the latest monitoring and modelling technology in order to manage the radical uncertainty of environmental risks.
Respect planetary boundaries and seek collaborative, circular solutions
Rather than a ‘make-take-waste’ approach, responsible businesses should try to eliminate waste and pollution by reusing and recycling as much as possible, working in cross-sector partnerships with others to ‘close the loop’ on the life-cycle of their products.
Work collectively to build society and nature’s resilience and avoid systemic risks
Because sustainability is a holistic issue, responsible businesses need to do all they can to build up the resilience of the social and ecological systems that support them – from simply paying their fair share of local taxes to working with NGOs to protect global biodiversity.
Understand the systemic nature of any problem to find its most effective solution
Business leaders who take a systemic approach – looking at the impacts of their business on wider society and the environment – are better able to anticipate, innovate and collaborate on issues of sustainability and know where to intervene and create positive, transformative change most effectively.
Give your consumers clear and trusted information to enable responsible choices
Working with third-party certification schemes and using clear, traffic light-style labelling for social and environmental impacts will help consumers make more sustainable choices.
Value the trust and support of the people you depend upon
Trust is essential for delivering any programme of sustainability that must involve working with a range of internal and external stakeholders. So make trust a strategic priority with measurable KPIs on all critical relationships, and don’t wait for new policy or laws to raise your standards.
Use your privilege to enhance society and nature
Responsible businesses embrace their role as citizens, using their platform and influence to support sustainable production and consumption, supporting suppliers with strong sustainability standards, and contributing to social justice and the welfare and infrastructure of society.
Minimise harm and don’t reward or incentivise irresponsible behaviour
Responsible businesses measure and attempt to minimise any harm they cause.They recognise their staff’s values and that motivating them through purpose, rather than just profits, is more likely to encourage the kind of collaborative and innovative work that the complex problems of sustainability require.
Create an inclusive culture that respects the dignity of staff and stakeholders
Businesses with diverse workforces and employee representation in managerial decisions are shown to have increased productivity and resilience, making them more sustainable and appealing to staff and consumers alike.
Prioritise the sustainability of the planet over your business
Ultimately, the future of all human activity and our very existence is dependent on a healthy, life-sustaining Earth.