IMPACT REPORT 2024 Future Leap compressed
IMPACT REPORT 2024
TABLE OF CONTENTS HELLO... 1 A WORD FROM OUR FOUNDER 4 ABOUT FUTURE LEAP 5 OUR JOURNEY SO FAR 7 OUR B CORP™ SCORE 11 IMPACT AREAS GOVERNANCE 1 5 WORKERS 21 COMMUNITY 2 9 ENVIRONMENT 37 CUSTOMERS 57 CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS 67 THANK YOU! 76
HELLO... …and welcome to Future Leap’s annual B Corp™ impact report! I’m so proud of the tireless work our team have put in to reach this milestone in our company’s journey. Getting B Corp™ certified is challenging, but that’s not a bad thing. The process has made us take a long hard look at the impact we have on the people and planet around us. It’s made us celebrate how far we’ve come, look our shortcomings in the eye, figure out ways to improve and decide where we will go next. I hope it will also give our team and our clients extra confidence they’re dealing with an organisation that truly cares about sustainability, in every sense of the word. B Corp™ certification isn’t an end goal in itself. It’s more the starting line of a marathon towards a more sustainable future. We’ve only just got our B Corp™ certificate, so this report is a snapshot of where we are as we cross that starting line. I can’t wait to look back when we write next year’s report and see how far we’ve run. KATHERINE PIPER HEAD OF PARTNERSHIPS & SUSTAINABILITY 1
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A WORD FROM OUR FOUNDER As we present the Future Leap B Corp™ Impact Report for 2024, I am filled with pride and gratitude for our journey. This report showcases our achievements and reflects our commitment to creating a positive impact on the environment, highlighting what can be achieved when a business puts sustainability at its core. Our B Corp™ certification symbolises our pledge to uphold the highest standards of social and environmental performance. This year’s report highlights not only how we have turned this commitment into tangible actions and measurable outcomes, but that we continue to be committed to improving ourselves in every aspect. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey. Your support and belief in our mission drive our success. Together, we will continue to inspire positive change and create a more sustainable world. ALAN BAILEY FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR 4
ABOUT FUTURE LEAP At Future Leap, we’re on a mission to make a positive impact on the people and the planet around us by helping organisations of all sizes become more sustainable every day. We do this by offering a holistic suite of services that supports our clients at every stage of their sustainability journey. CREATING CONNECTIONS, SPACES & EVENTS Collaboration is key to making change happen. That’s why we’ve spent years building one of the UK’s largest sustainability business networks (see p.59), creating carbon- neutral co-working spaces (p.53) and curating fascinating events (p.49) to help people meet, pool their knowledge and learn from one another as they figure out the best way to tackle the problems we see in the world today. CONSULTANCY The road to Net Zero can be bewildering. Our dedicated team of sustainability consultants can provide bespoke support to help your organisation identify its current climate impact and map out the optimal route to a better tomorrow. Clients include Pieminister (see p.41), The Bottle Yard Studios (p.41), Stride Treglown (p.42), North Somerset Council (p.43) and many more. 5
ECO - FIT Our Eco-fit team connects clients with trusted installers of sustainable retrofit solutions that help lower their carbon footprints and decouple them from fluctuating energy prices. Options include solar PV panels, air-source heat pumps and high-efficiency insulation—much of which can be seen in action at our Bristol Headquarters (p.53). FINANCE Once organisations have identified the changes they want to make, our experts at Future Leap Finance can step in to link them up with the financing they need to put their plans into action—all without compromising on ethics or breaking the bank. (p.45) 6
OUR JOURNEY SO FAR 2004 - THE JOURNEY BEGINS In 2004 Alan Bailey sets up the Bristol Environmental Technology Sector (BETS)—an initiative designed to help promote sustainability among businesses in the South West. This starts the longstanding Future Leap structure of running events and bringing organisations together to reduce their environmental impact and make sustainability a financially viable prospect in the region. 2010 - LOW CARBON SOUTH WEST After six years of operations, BETS merges with the sustainability network from the University of Bath’s Innovation Centre to form Low Carbon South West, a Community Interest Company (CIC) that hopes to put the South West on the map as a UK hub for the green industries sector. 7
2010-2017 GETTING TO WORK For several years, Low Carbon South West partners with a number of organisations to make significant contributions to a variety of inspiring projects. These include the Low Carbon High Skills training programme, Invest in Bristol and Bath, iNets South West Environmental, the Avonmouth and Severnside Heat Network and Go Green—a scheme launched during Bristol’s year as a European Green Capital to support businesses, charities and organisations of all sizes with their sustainability ambitions. 2017/18 - NEW HORIZONS Low Carbon South West becomes a private company, forming the basis for Future Leap as we know it today. Future Leap organises the first annual Festival of Sustainable Business (see p.49)—a series of events that welcomed 1,500 attendees, 50 exhibitors and over 60 expert speakers in its very first year. The organisation also starts partnering with local consultants to give organisations of all sizes advice on progressing their sustainability journeys. 8
2020 - A NEW HOME & THE PANDEMIC After a lot of work, our award-winning, £1.5-million pound Future Leap Hub (p.53), with its café, events facility and co- working space, is ready to open on Bristol’s Gloucester Road. It‘s all set to launch… and then the first COVID-19 lockdown hits the very same day. Like so many other organisations, we’re sent reeling and have to try and figure out how to keep everyone safe and our co-working and events operations afloat when we can no longer meet face- to-face. We’re extremely proud of the Future Leap team for the dedication, flexibility and resilience they showed during that trying time. We’re also eternally grateful to our community for their endless patience and support. 2021 - FUTURE LEAP CONSULTANCY We start building up our own in-house Future Leap carbon consultancy team. This lets us give a wide range of clients (p.41) even more advice and support when it comes to quantifying their environmental impact and lowering their carbon footprint in the most efficient way. 9
2022/23 - A SECOND SITE & NEW TEAMS We open our second carbon-neutral co-working facility at the Old Chapel in Bristol’s Clifton neighbourhood. We also set up our Future Leap Eco-fit and Finance teams to help organisations build and fund their sustainability ambitions. 2023 - MEDIA STUDIOS As Sir David Attenborough once said, “Saving our planet is now a communications challenge. We know what to do. We just need the will.” In that spirit, we launch Future Leap Media Studios—a suite of carbon-neutral podcast, film and photography facilities based at our Clifton site that helps organisations amplify their sustainability message. 2024 - B CORP™ CERTIFIED & 20 YEARS YOUNG We’re delighted to be given the seal of approval from B Corp™—one of the best-known, best-respected sustainability certifications in the game. Future Leap also turns twenty this year. This impact report was launched at our 20 year celebration, the perfect moment to celebrate both achievements. 10
OUR B CORP™ SCORE FUTURE LEAP’S B CORP™ SCORE: 83.2 B CORP™ QUALIFYING SCORE: 80 MEDIAN SCORE FOR ORDINARY BUSINESSES: 50 If you’re interested in sustainability, chances are you’ll have heard about B Corp™—the best-known, best-respected, holistic sustainability certification for businesses that want to be a force for good in the world. Since the first eighty- two B Corps™ were awarded their certificates back in 2007, the scheme has grown to encompass over 8,000 organisations worldwide. After a great deal of work, we were proud to announce that Future Leap had become one of them in April 2024. Getting B Corp™ certified isn’t easy. It requires businesses to undertake a fully comprehensive analysis of their operations and submit evidence to gain points in five ‘impact areas’: Governance, Community, Workers, Environment and Customers. If your overall impact score is 80 or above, your company gets to join the B Corp™ club for three years. We’re proud of our overall score because it reflects the decades of effort we’ve poured into creating an organisation that makes a real difference. 11
We also love the breakdown of individual scores we received (see the pie chart below) because it shows the impact areas we’re doing well in and highlights the areas we need to focus on to keep improving our company and achieve an even better score when we recertify three years from now. Customers Governance 8 7.2 14 14 Community Environment 83.2 15.1 28 28.1 15 Workers 18 18.3 The rest of this report will look at how we’re doing in each of B Corp™’s impact areas in turn and what we’re planning to do to enhance our environmental and social impact before we write our next report in twelve months’ time. 12
If you’re thinking of embarking on your own B Corp™ journey, we can provide all the coaching and mentoring you need to break the process down into manageable chunks and achieve B Corp™ success—both during the initial application process and when it comes time to recertify. Don’t hesitate to get in touch! 14
IMPACT AREA: GOVERNANCE FUTURE LEAP SCORE: 14 Governance is the bedrock of our business. It’s how we ensure that our commitment to putting people and planet first is baked into our company’s DNA. Governance isn’t a flashy subject, but it’s extremely important to get it right so we lay the proper foundations for sustainable success. 15
THINGS TO CELEBRATE Here are some of the steps we’ve taken to ensure people and planet remain at the heart of everything we do. OUR MISSION STATEMENT No one can solve the planet’s problems alone. For that reason, we’re not just passionate about improving our own impact, but also about bringing other organisations along on the journey to Net Zero. It’s a driving force we’ve laid down in our company mission statement: “We give organisations the space, knowledge, contacts and tools to accelerate their sustainability journey and progress towards Net Zero. We do this by showcasing innovative solutions, facilitating future-thinking discussions and collaborating with one another.” MISSION: LOCKED The need to take account of the impact of our decisions on people and planet has been added to our articles of association—the legally binding contract that contains all the rules we agree to follow as a business. Developed in line with the Blueprint for Better Business, our legal rulebook includes commitments to be “a guardian for future generations”, honour “our duty to protect the natural world” and consider “each person affected by [our] decisions as if they were a member of [our] own community.” 17
CHANGING OUR GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE Recent employee feedback (see p.27) revealed that our team wanted more transparency about how our business is run. That’s why we set up the Operations Board—a group of Future Leap Team Leaders who liaise between employees and the Senior Management Team to facilitate more collective, better-informed decision-making and make sure everyone’s on board with where we’re planning to go. Following the operations board, a communication is sent out to the wider team. SUSTAINABLE EXPERTISE Responsibility for the day-to-day governance of Future Leap rests in large part on the shoulders of our Senior Management Team. To guarantee that the company’s activities continue to align with our sustainability commitments, these four individuals are tasked with ensuring the Future Leap team receive on-going social and environmental training, putting sustainability front and centre on the agenda at managerial meetings, and conducting continual stakeholder engagement to make sure we’re providing the kinds of impact our local communities actually need. 18
IMPACT AREA: WORKERS FUTURE LEAP SCORE: 18.3 The best part of working at Future Leap is the group of wonderful, passionate people you get to work alongside every day. This impact area looks at how well we take care of our employees’ mental, physical and financial wellbeing and what we’re doing to help them grow as professionals in our industry. 21
THINGS TO CELEBRATE Here’s a selection of the many benefits Future Leap team members can enjoy. PROFESSIONAL & FINANCIAL BENEFITS TIME MANAGEMENT We believe people are much more productive when they have some autonomy over their time. That’s why we allow all our employees to work from home one or two days a week and complete their hours in the office at the times that suit them best. We also have a well-used mechanism to track overtime and give employees time off in lieu. MONEY MATTERS Giving people fair compensation for their hard work is very important to us. That’s why we pay everyone well over the Real Living Wage, why we review salaries annually and why the difference between our lowest and highest salaries is relatively small. All employees also have access to an ethical pension scheme provided by NEST. CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT In addition to having free access to all Future Leap events, team members can use two hours a month for self-directed continuing professional development (CPD). 23
Past examples of CPD studies undertaken include a finance course and a course on audio technology for events. Around 35% of employees currently make use of their CPD hours, and we’re working to increase uptake in the future. FEEDBACK OPPORTUNITIES We want our team to feel cared for and heard, that’s why we provide lots of opportunities for them to tell us how they feel. These include our employee suggestion box, our bi- annual employee surveys (see p.27), our ‘moans’ and ‘gratitudes’ sessions at monthly team meetings, and the regular one-on-one check-in sessions the Senior Management Team offers to all employees. WELLBEING & FUN All work and no play isn’t a recipe for success. That’s why we make sure the Future Leap team have plenty of free opportunities to relax and have fun. Whether it’s stretching out at our twice-monthly yoga sessions, meeting new people and getting outdoors at our regular ‘Netwalking’ events, catching up over food and drinks during our monthly dinner, or planting trees during our annual away days (p.27), there’s always something happening for everyone to enjoy. 24
SPOTLIGHT ON: WORKER TESTIMONIALS DAVINA GILBERT, EVENTS MANAGER “Over the past five years at Future Leap I've cherished the strength of our community, the flexibility to grow, and the everlasting friendships I've made. The inspiring, comfortable space has allowed me to fully utilise my skills and deepen my understanding of sustainability. It's been an incredible journey.” AMMAR JAMALI, NET ZERO CONSULTANT "Future Leap is built around sustainability and inclusivity. I used to work in the Oil & Gas industry until a growing sense of eco-guilt made me want to change career. Future Leap has enabled this transition by nurturing my carbon footprinting skills and giving me the opportunity to help decarbonise businesses across the South West. I can proudly say that, with Future Leap’s support, I’m now helping the UK achieve its net zero targets, one carbon footprint at a time!" 25
GEORGIA GOLDSTONE, EVENTS & MARKETING COORDINATOR “One of the most rewarding aspects of working at Future Leap has been its community of like-minded individuals. It’s been a privilege to be surrounded by a talented and supportive team whose dedication and passion for sustainability are truly infectious. I’m excited to see Future Leap continually inspire organisations to accelerate their sustainability journey.” 26
WHERE WE’RE GOING NEXT We provide our employees with a suggestion box, one-on- one check-in meetings and a bi-annual survey to see how they’re getting on. Although our most recent survey yielded lots of positive feedback, it also highlighted a number of areas we need to work on. COLLABORATION & TRANSPARENCY Numerous employees praised the collaborative, supportive atmosphere they feel exists among the Future Leap team. At the same time, however, some employees felt the need for more clarity of communication and greater transparency from the Senior Management Team. In response, we’ve already set up our Operations Board that liaises between employees and managers and keeps everyone updated once a month (see p.10). We’re also planning to implement Annual Team Business Plans that are shaped by the members of each department (p.11) and eventually add employee ownership into Future Leap’s company structure (p.11). GUIDING PRINCIPLES In our latest survey, the majority of Future Leap’s employees said they believe the work they do is meaningful and has purpose. 27
However, some employees also thought that Future Leap’s managers need to set a clearer mission, values and goals to guide the organisation as a whole.As a result, we’re implementing Annual Team Business Plans and will work with all employees to refresh our Code of Ethics, Mission Statement and Company Values to make sure everyone’s on board with the direction we need to take. CHECKING IN A number of comments praised Future Leap’s wellbeing provision, our flexible working conditions and our inclusive, supportive culture. Nevertheless, some employees also felt that managers don’t check in on their wellbeing often enough or provide one-on-one meetings with sufficient regularity. In consequence, we’re going to ensure that one- on-one meetings are provided on time. We’ll also work hard to improve our wellbeing feedback mechanisms to make sure employees feel more cared for and heard. 28
IMPACT AREA: COMMUNITY FUTURE LEAP SCORE: 15.1 Sustainable companies are excellent neighbours that work hard to look after the communities they operate within. This impact area examines how we treat our local communities in terms of diversity, justice, inclusion and charity—basically, all of the good stuff. 29
THINGS TO CELEBRATE Here’s a number of ways we’ve been helping our local communities in recent times. CREATING OPPORTUNITIES Ever since we took part in the UK Government’s Kickstart scheme to help disadvantaged young people find employment in the green economy, we’ve been passionate about creating opportunities for capable individuals to get ahead in the sustainability sector. For example, we offer internships to students from local universities and give volunteers free access to our network events in exchange for helping out with the front-of-house. We also take pride in nurturing internal talent wherever possible; upskilling talented and bright people that merely lack experience via on-the-job learning to give them the chance they deserve to make a real contribution in our industry. CHARITY PARTNERS & TREE PLANTING Every two years Future Leap partners with one or more local charities (see p.18) to aid them in their missions to help people and our planet. Chosen by Future Leap team members, these organisations all receive free exhibition space at the Festival of Sustainable Business and free membership to the Future Leap Network (and the many benefits that entails). 31
Employees also have the opportunity to go on an annual tree planting day to give back to our local community (p.18). HELPING LOCAL START-UPS THRIVE We believe encouraging organisations to aim for sustainable growth is a great way to accelerate the local economy’s trajectory towards Net Zero. In addition to the work we do within the Future Leap Network, we’ve recently been providing free carbon consultancy services as part of Bristol Business & Enterprise Support (BrisBES)—a government- funded scheme run by YTKO which delivers high quality, inclusive and sustainable support to Bristolians looking to start and grow their own businesses and social enterprises in the local area. WORKING WITH LOCAL SUPPLIERS The vast majority of the supplies we purchase are sourced from local companies (including a number of other B Corps™). We also send out questionnaires to our top suppliers to ask them about their social and environmental impact and screen all products sold in the retail section of the Future Leap Gloucester Road Hub to make sure they align with our values. 32
SPOTLIGHT ON: FUTURE LEAP CHARITY PARTNERS Introducing our trio of well-deserved charity partner organisations for 2022–2024 BABBASA (BABBASA.COM) Queen’s Award-winning social enterprise Babbasa are on a mission to create a world where people from all backgrounds can make their professional ambitions a reality. Their many fantastic initiatives include the #OurCity2030 partnership that’s designed to get at least one person from Bristol’s low-income households a median-salary job by 2030 NATURE CONNECTION CIC (NATURECONNECTION.CO.UK) Environmental educator Chris Holland uses outdoor learning and enhanced well-being practices to bring environmental education alive for people of all ages and from all walks of life. Clients include the NHS, the National Parks Authority and the Eden Project. 33
DIGILOCAL (DIGILOCAL.ORG.UK) Bristol-based charity Digilocal facilitate free community tech clubs for young people aged 8+, with a particular focus on those underrepresented in the tech industry today. Their work includes providing young people with computer equipment and linking them up with exciting engineering challenges like the NASA Space Apps Challenge. SPOTLIGHT ON: TREE PLANTING DAYS For the past two years, Future Leap employees have participated in an annual tree planting and maintenance day in collaboration with the charity Avon Needs Trees—a Future Leap Network member that’s dedicated to creating woodlands at a variety of sites in the South West. We had great fun both times and are very much looking forward to our next nature-focussed away day that’ll help us enhance the biodiversity of our local area. 34
WHERE WE’RE GOING NEXT DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION (DEI) There’s no denying that Future Leap—like the environment sector as a whole—still has a long way to go when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Future Leap is taking a pro-active approach. We’re committed to enable talent from intersectional spaces and communities to be part of delivering a just transition. All voices and contributions are needed to deliver sustainability goals for our society. We’re going to need to harness the very best talent from across our society if we’re going to have a hope of making sustainability a reality. STEPS TAKEN We’ve already taken a few steps in the right direction. For example: 75% of Future Leap’s Senior Management Team and 73% of employees identify as female. We engaged Babbasa (see p.33) to write us a DEI report, help us compose more inclusive job descriptions and improve the DEI of the Festival of Sustainable Business (p.49). Florence Okowa, who volunteers with us as our DEI Ambassador, raises awareness about the importance of DEI and promoting the Future Leap Network among underrepresented groups. 35
NEXT STEPS We recognise that our efforts are only the beginning of true cultural change at Future Leap. Our team isn’t diverse in a way that is representative of the society in which we operate. Our aim is to change this. For that reason, we’re forming the Future Leap DEI Network. Over the next year, this group will: Utilise the expertise available via the network to create a DEI roadmap that sets out our near-term and long- term DEI ambitions and ties them to SMART goals. Become a Disability Confident Committed employer (Level 1) to help us recruit, retain and develop disabled employees. Work more closely with our Inclusivity Ambassador. Start gathering DEI data to monitor progress. 36
IMPACT AREA: ENVIRONMENT FUTURE LEAP SCORE: 28.1 When it comes to the environment, we want to lead by example. That means celebrating the steps we’ve already taken and setting robust targets to keep us heading in the right direction. This section examines the impact that we—and the suppliers we work with—have on the world around us. 37
THINGS TO CELEBRATE Future Leap have been ahead of the environmental curve since 2004. Here’s a selection of our proudest achievements and future ambitions NET ZERO BY 2040 We’ve committed to reaching Net Zero by 2040. That means cutting 64% of our emissions by 2030 and hitting 90% reductions by 2040 (ten years earlier than required). These science-based* targets are ambitious, but they need to be— the climate crisis demands it. In the meantime, we’re offsetting the emissions we can’t currently reduce with Gold Standard credits from Hydrologic—an organisation chosen by Future Leap team members that distributes ceramic water filters in Cambodia to give people access to cleaner, safer water without having to boil it in their homes. For more detailed information on our Net Zero targets and carbon emissions, check out ‘Crunching the Numbers’ on p.66 of this report. *Targets set in line with the Science-Based Target Initiative (SBTi) and the ISO Net Zero Standard. All metrics calculated in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.” 39
PASSING IT ON Helping other companies reach Net Zero faster is one of the most impactful things we do. We’re able to do this thanks to… Our consultants who provide carbon accounting, Net Zero targeting and environmental technology recommendations for a range of exciting clients (p.41). Our Eco-fit and Finance teams who help organisations build and fund their sustainability ambitions (p.53 & p.45). Our training sessions that equip business leaders with the skills they need to achieve their sustainability goals (p.47). Our network and events (p.59) that bring people together to meet, learn and progress on their sustainability journeys. Our co-working spaces where like-minded organisations can work and collaborate in carbon-neutral surroundings (p.53 & p.55). 40
SPOTLIGHT ON: CONSULTANCY CLIENTS PIEMINISTER Founded in 2003, Pieminister are a Bristol-based B Corp™ that’s grown from a local start-up to a large national chain with around 300 employees. Future Leap recently helped Pieminister set their ambitious Net Zero targets by carrying out an extremely comprehensive Scope 3 emissions audit. This examined every inch of their upstream and downstream value chain, right down to the emissions generated when customers cook their supermarket pie range at home. We also created a bespoke ingredient calculator that lets Pieminister work out and fine-tune the carbon footprints of the recipes used to make each of their pies. “The Future Leap team were a delight to work with from start to finish. They advised on what would be the best use of our time, energy and money— and ultimately what would be driving the biggest positive wider impact.” Jeni Hunsley, Head of Sustainability and Innovation Projects THE BOTTLE YARD STUDIOS Bristol’s status as a hub of filmmaking was confirmed this year when it won the prestigious City of Film award at the Cannes Film Festival. 41
Future Leap are proud to be helping decarbonise this thriving local industry by working with such companies as The Bottle Yard Studios (TBYS)—the West of England’s largest dedicated film and TV studio facility. TBYS have long had significant sustainability ambitions. Indeed, their TBY2 studio was recently one of the first two studios ever to be rated ‘outstanding’ by the BAFTA albert’s Studio Sustainability Standard. Future Leap have already carried out a carbon risk assessment for TBYS and will soon embark on an audit of their Scope 1 & 2 emissions to further their decarbonisation journey. STRIDE TREGLOWN Stride Treglown are an employee-owned practice of architects, interior designers, town planners, master planners, urban designers and building surveyors that operate from a number of locations across the UK. A certified B Corp™ themselves, they’re deeply concerned with sustainability and the environment and are on a mission to use purpose-led design to improve the lives of future generations. Future Leap’s consultants started measuring Stride Treglown’s emissions back in 2018, and we’re proud to have been collaborating with them ever since. 42
More recently, we’ve been busy working with the firm on a science-based Net Zero Plan that will help them reduce 50% of their emissions by 2030 and reach Net Zero by 2050. As part of that process, we’ve produced a carbon reduction report to highlight all the changes the company can make to their buildings, business travel, waste management and supply chain so their environmental impact keeps improving year-on-year. NORTH SOMERSET COUNCIL In 2023, North Somerset Council launched the Net Zero Business Grants programme that provides grants of up to £30,000 to help local organisations install environmental technology on their premises. Future Leap was asked to create fully-funded, bespoke carbon reports and evidence- based recommendations for a number of organisations to help them apply for the scheme. Here’s just a few of the groups we’re proud to have worked with on this initiative. YMCA CLEVEDON, CLEVEDON YMCA Clevedon want to increase their financial self- sufficiency by renting out their sports hall as an events space. The problem? It’s currently too cold to use in winter. We visited the site and suggested adding more insulation to the building and replacing the hall’s gas-fired heaters with underfloor heating and an efficient air-to-water heat pump. 43
As well as warming the space more effectively, this will save the organisation 3,686 kWh of electricity per year and reduce their annual carbon emissions by 0.54 tonnes (CO2e). THE MOTHER HEN COFFEE AND GIFTS, WRINGTON Mother Hen Coffee and Gifts wanted to know if replacing their café’s energy-hungry sandwich toasters with a specialist Merrychef oven would reduce their energy bills and environmental impact. Our analysis showed that the oven in question could produce more sandwiches in a fraction of the time, slashing their energy bills by £645 a year and their annual emissions by 0.5 tonnes (CO2e). We also suggested installing solar PV panels on the premises to save a further £891 and 0.7 tonnes of emissions (CO2e) per year. UNCLE PAUL’S CHILLI CHARITY, BUTCOMBE Uncle Paul’s Chilli Charity has a 40-acre farm and café overlooking the Mendip Hills where socially disadvantaged people with barriers to learning and/or disabilities can get vocational training in such disciplines as farming, hospitality and food production. 44
Following a site visit, we recommended they install solar PV panels on the roof of their farm’s new barn. This will generate around 10,162 kWh of electricity per year, reducing their electricity bills by about 30% and lowering their annual emissions by 2.10 tonnes (CO2e). “Future Leap plays a key role in supporting the Council to deliver our priority to low carbon business and skills. [Their work has] influenced our current provision, which progresses the strength of supporting businesses towards a more sustainable future.” Victoria Barvenova, North Somerset Council, Climate Emergency Project Manager SPOTLIGHT ON: FUTURE LEAP FINANCE At Future Leap Finance, we’re passionate about helping businesses fund projects that improve the social and environmental sustainability of the world around us. Here’s some of the companies we’ve worked with. SONNY STORES Family-run restaurant Sonny Stores was set up in Bristol’s Southville neighbourhood in 2020 by husband and wife team Mary Glynn and Pegs Quinn. 45
Mindful of their impact on the communities around them, Mary and Pegs create their delicious, seasonal Italian food using high-quality ingredients sourced from the local area. They’re also involved in local food charities and passionate about helping people—and young people in particular—who are experiencing food poverty. Future Leap Finance worked with the couple to provide the ethical funding they needed to add ten covers to their restaurant, allowing them to grow their business and expand the impact they have on food poverty in the city. FILMS@59 Founded by Gina Fucci and Jeanne Tompson in 1990, Bristol and Cardiff-based Films@59 are an award-winning supplier of film equipment rental and post-production facilities with an impressive roster of credits to their name, including Planet Earth III, Dr Who and The Great British Bake Off. They’re also members of film industry sustainability initiative BAFTA albert and committed to reducing their carbon footprint. Following a carbon assessment by Future Leap’s sustainability consultants, Future Leap Finance helped set Films@59 up with the necessary funding to acquire an electric van, enabling them to reduce their Scope 1 emissions and the direct impact they have on the environment. 46
BEST.ENERGY International company best.energy are working hard to forge a built environment that’s more energy-efficient, sustainable and enjoyable to inhabit by harnessing big data, Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things. Future Leap Finance are proud to have helped best.energy fund the development of the ENISCOPE—a device that monitors the behaviour of all the electronics in a business’ premises in real time to reduce overall energy consumption. best.energy are so confident in their product’s abilities, they guarantee it will help each business attain a post-installation energy saving of at least 20%. This gives the ENISCOPE the potential to create an enormous indirect environmental impact as the technology scales. To date, the devices have been installed in such locations as Peru’s largest airport and all 120 of Denmark’s 7-Eleven stores. SPOTLIGHT ON: FUTURE LEAP TRAINING Developing and delivering training sessions is one of the most professionally rewarding things we do. That’s why we were delighted to work with UWE Bristol to help create and teach ‘Skills for Clean Growth’—the business support programme they ran in partnership with NatWest. 47
The initiative’s aim was to drive clean, inclusive growth in the West of England by helping SMEs of all sizes manage the risks and embrace the opportunities of the transition to Net Zero. Future Leap’s experts were tasked with helping UWE create and deliver workshops on a variety of cutting-edge topics, including sustainability certifications, sustainability communications and digital emissions. Our events team also used their experience of running hybrid events to help the programme seamlessly reach as wide an audience as possible. “From the outset, Future Leap’s innovative, agile and collaborative approach has been integral to the successful delivery of the programme. … [Their] depth of knowledge and agile approach to workshop delivery has meant the workshops have delivered value for [all our] audiences. I’m hugely looking forward to continuing our partnership and impact across the region.” Thomas Finn, Skills Development Manager UWE Bristol 48
“I thought the facilitator turned a potentially dry, confusing subject into a very accessible, interesting subject— introducing concepts and building layers of complexity as he went. It was very good.” Nina Midgely-De Jong, Account Director Nomensa I didn’t know what to expect but have come away feeling really positive about using the information to begin assessing our carbon footprint. Before the workshop, I had no idea where to start.” Sam Hawker, Managing Director AbleCare SPOTLIGHT ON: THE FESTIVAL OF SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS We believe businesses need to work together to make progress on sustainability. The Festival of Sustainable Business is Future Leap’s flagship trio of events that hopefully acts as a catalyst for the collaboration needed to achieve Net Zero. Attendees can hear from inspirational individuals, pool their knowledge and make valuable connections to help create a better future. 49
EVENT 1: THE CONFERENCE (ANNUALLY IN MARCH) A day of networking and four dynamic seminars on topics ranging from transportation to the built environment. This event brings businesses together and helps them explore actionable strategies to champion sustainability, foster education and advance the adoption of better practices in their industries. “One of the most engaging, useful and positive conferences I’ve been to in a long while!" Rin Hamburgh, Founder, Rin Hamburgh & Co. EVENT 2: THE EXHIBITION (ANNUALLY IN SEPTEMBER) Exhibition attendees are able to explore an indoor exhibition space, a themed talks stage with a curated program of expert speakers, and an interactive transport zone where they can witness pioneering tech and innovative transport solutions. It’s a wonderful day for making vital connections and learning from experts in their fields. “There was a great atmosphere and a buzz of individuals and organisations you could tell were there to find out how to make a positive change.” 2023 Exhibition attendee. 50
EVENT 3: THE AWARDS (ANNUALLY IN NOVEMBER) Our awards ceremony rounds off the Festival by celebrating businesses that stand out as sustainability leaders and make significant contributions to people and the planet. 2023 saw SWIG Finance, The Bottle Yard Studios, Belmont Estate, Oat Float and Avon Wildlife Trust taking home awards. “I loved the people I met at the event—they were so inspirational, and I feel there could be potential to work/collaborate with some of them in the future.” 2023 Awards attendee 51
SPOTLIGHT ON: THE FUTURE LEAP HUB & FUTURE LEAP ECO-FIT In 2018, we bought an old electronics shop and painstakingly transformed it into the Future Leap Hub on Bristol’s Gloucester Road. It’s now home to a thriving community that makes full use of the events space, eco-friendly shop, café and carbon-neutral co-working facilities we set up in the building. It’s also bristling with the kinds of state-of-the-art environmental technology our Eco-fit team can help your organisation install, acting as a tangible example of what can be achieved when businesses are designed with sustainability as a core principle. Here's just some of the sustainable features you’ll see if you pay us a visit. Active Travel Active travel is good for the environment and our health. That's why we’ve constructed secure bike storage and shower and locker facilities to encourage employees, co-workers and event attendees to walk, jog, wheel and cycle to our Hub. Solar PV Panels Purchased with support from the Mayoral Combined Authority and Future Leap Finance, the 15.99 kWp solar PV array on the Hub’s roof generates around 10% of the total electricity the building uses each year. 53
This allows us to reduce our Scope 2 emissions by around 2 tonnes per annum (CO2e). All the rest of our electricity is purchased from Ecotricity’s 100% renewables tariff and offset with Gold Standard credits from Hydrologic. Sustainable Furnishings During the renovations, our builders worked hard to send as little waste to landfill as possible. This ethos is echoed in the Hub’s furnishings, which include Interface’s ‘Net-Works’ carpet tiles made from discarded fishing nets purchased from coastal communities who collect them from the sea. Living Wall The Hub’s facade features one of Bristol’s largest living walls. The plants growing on its vertical surface make a contribution to cleaning the air at this busy traffic intersection. Air Conditioning & Heat Recovery Look up and you’ll see our highly efficient Mitsubishi R32 air conditioning system—the first of its kind installed in the UK. It uses R32 refrigerant gas that has a relatively low global warming potential (GWP) to heat and cool the building as required. It’s also paired with three Mitsubishi Lossnay MVHR* units. These reduce our heating bills and Scope 1 emissions by recovering up to 80% of the heat from the stale air they remove from the building and using it to warm up the fresh air they pump back in. *MVHR = Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery 54
WHERE WE’RE HEADED We’re a growing business operating in a demanding environment and that presents us with numerous challenges. Future Leap continues to overcome these challenges by following its sustainable ethos. OUR CLIFTON SITE We started renting a second office in a converted chapel back in 2022. It’s beautiful, but it’s old, inefficient and difficult to decarbonise. In fact, it’s the reason our Scope 1 emissions increased from zero the year we moved in (see the chart below). We won’t be deterred, however, and are determined to show it’s possible to minimise your carbon footprint in a period building. We’ve signed a sustainability charter with our landlords who’ve agreed to make annual efficiency improvements with the help of our consultancy team. Our first move will be conducting a thermal imaging analysis at the site to assess the efficiency of the building fabric. ) e Scope 1 Scope 2 ₂ O 30 C t ( s 25 n o i s s 20 i m E 15 2 d n 10 a 1 e 5 p o c S 0 2020 2021 2022 55
GROWING PAINS As our business grows, so do our emissions. It’s not all bad news. In fact, our carbon intensity (our emissions per pound of revenue) actually fell by 34% between 2020 and 2022 (from 0.035 to 0.023 kg CO₂e/£). But we still need to do more to reduce our carbon footprint overall. We’ve been diligently monitoring our emissions since 2020. Nevertheless, we weren’t happy with the quality of the data on which to base our calculations. Our consultants recently began conducting a much more in-depth analysis of our Scope 3 emissions and implementing a raft of enhanced monitoring processes (like tracking employee commute emissions in real time). This will give us a more precise picture of our carbon footprint and let us know exactly where improvements need to be made. Once our improved data tracking is complete, we’ll be able to implement reduction strategies to stay on track to hit our Net Zero target by 2040. As part of this process, we’ll be writing robust Net Zero business development guidelines to steer future growth in the right direction and using the survey data we get from our suppliers to celebrate their achievements and identify how we can help them improve their environmental impact in the future. If you’re interested in our Net Zero targets and carbon emissions, check out the ‘Crunching the Numbers’ section of this report (p.35). 56
IMPACT AREA: CUSTOMERS FUTURE LEAP SCORE: 7.5 A business is nothing without its customers. It is our goal to provide them with the very best services that’ll help accelerate their sustainability journeys. 57
THINGS TO CELEBRATE THE FUTURE LEAP NETWORK The Future Leap Network is an international community of over 400 like-minded changemakers and organisations who want to do the right thing for people and the planet. Our goal is to facilitate collaboration between Network members and help accelerate their sustainability journeys. We do this by providing them with a huge range of benefits. These benefits include free access to the co-working lounge at the Future Leap Hub, a packed calendar of networking socials and informative events, and a one-on-one meeting with a member of the Future Leap team to help them define their strategy and personally put them in touch with the right contacts that can help them make their sustainability ambitions a reality. FUTURE LEAP TALKS, COURSES & EVENTS Future Leap’s in-person and hybrid talks, courses and events are an excellent way for Network members and other interested parties to learn about sustainability and connect with people and potential business partners from all around the world. We regularly collect and review feedback to ensure we’re providing the most useful content and networking opportunities for our customers to enjoy. 59
“It was all just so well organised, a properly well-oiled machine (without losing the human touch!)” “Interesting presentations and a superb networking opportunity.” “I spoke to at least three people/companies who decided to kick off their B Corp™ journeys as a result of the event, which is fantastic!” Future Leap Event Attendees FUTURE LEAP BUSINESS SERVICES Future Leap’s range of business services has been set up to accompany organisations at every stage of their sustainability journey. The first port of call is often our consultancy team, who can help clients calculate their carbon footprints and recommend evidence-based improvements that will reduce their environmental impact in the most efficient and cost-effective way. If clients so desire, our Eco-fit and Finance teams can then link them up with trusted retrofit experts and affordable, ethical financing to help them put those recommended improvements into practice. 60
“The [consultancy] team at Future Leap … were supportive and flexible throughout. As a large and complex business, the [analysis] work was complicated … but Future Leap drew on the right expertise at the right time and pragmatically pulled all the required information into a robust plan. It’s always a pleasure to deal with the team at Future Leap, and we look forward to working with them into the future.” Jack Jones, Head of Sustainability, Nijhuis “We wanted to fully understand our carbon footprint and develop a plan to reduce it which was based on facts and the most effective and efficient reduction techniques we could find. Future Leap were able to bring their expertise in helping us understand the carbon impacts of quite a complicated business and to help us decide what to focus our attention on. Their recommendations have helped us decide what to invest in; they helped us navigate the various trade offs that need to be made. The recommendations from our carbon audit will feed into our budget setting process, so we can invest in things which will both improve what we do, but also reduce our carbon footprint.” Dominic Koole, Head of Operations, Jamie's Farm “Working with Future Leap on our company carbon footprint has been a positive collaboration from start to finish. We collected all the data needed for analysis. This was then collated by Tyler into a comprehensive and useful Climate Action Plan. I would highly recommend Future Leap to any company looking to evaluate their emissions and environmental impact.” Emma Fashokun, ESG Manager, Cornish Gems 61
FUTURE LEAP CO-WORKING Our Gloucester Road and Clifton sites provide co-working, meeting room and office spaces to individuals and organisations with a variety of flexible packages suited to their needs. In addition to a carbon-neutral place to work, they can make use of such benefits as secure bicycle storage, shower and locker facilities, a dedicated support team, unlimited Fairtrade tea and coffee and membership to the Future Leap Network (with all the extra benefits that entails). More than that, however, they also gain access to a vibrant, supportive community of like-minded individuals with whom they can share knowledge, collaborate and enjoy themselves at our range of social events. We’re constantly trying to make our co-working spaces the best they can be, and conduct surveys to make sure we’re meeting our co-workers’ needs in the best possible way. “Having our head office at Future Leap has been a game changer from day one. We've learnt so much from the team and the other residents. We recently received our B Corp™ certification and the carbon neutral hub was a huge benefit.” Ed Garrett, Founder, The Discourse 63
"We love having our UK base at the Future Leap Hub. We're a marine conservation charity, so it's great to work in a sustainability-focussed, carbon-neutral building run by a company whose environmental values align with our own. It's also fantastic to be surrounded by a bustling community of other like-minded businesses and be part of a sustainability network filled with people we can share ideas with and learn from every day." Chloe Harvey, Executive Director, Reef-World “We have gained two new key strategic customers as a result of Future Leap’s network and events. One was through their annual festival of sustainable business and the other was through one of their network members being recommended our services. This speaks volumes, as it shows their network is interactive and valuable. The team have helped me every time I’ve needed something and clearly care. And their carbon neutral co-working spaces mean we can work comfortably with minimal impact on the environment.” Ethan Taylor, Net Zero Waste Expert, Binit WHERE WE’RE HEADED Giving our customers the best possible experience and value for money is always at the top of our agenda. Here some of the ways we’re hoping to improve our services and help our customers progress their sustainability journeys more effectively over the next twelve months. 64
EVENT ATTENDEES As well as asking attendees about the quality and relevance of our events, we also ask them about their demographic information and how they travel to our venues. Both of these latter two statistics reveal that our audiences are not very diverse and that attendees’ travel habits produce the largest proportion of emissions associated with our events by far. Enhancing the diversity of our events has proven to be a challenge in the past. Our hope is that the new Future Leap DEI Network (p.19) will be able to improve our performance in this area and allow us to reach, learn from and collaborate with as wide a section of our society as possible. We’re also planning to work on measures to further encourage people to take active and low-carbon forms of transport to our events to reduce the carbon footprints involved. CONSULTANCY CLIENTS Our consultants work closely with their clients during the course of each project to provide an outstanding service that meets their every need. To make sure we have a 360- degree view of the entire consultancy process, however, we’re also planning to start sending out client satisfaction surveys after each project is completed. 65
This will hopefully grant us additional insights and enable continual improvements to our consultancy service over time. CO-WORKERS Co-workers are not only our customers but part of the Future Leap community. We work alongside them every single day. Although this allows us to get to know them personally and react quickly to any informal feedback they might have, we also put in place structures for formal feedback. We’ll start running our co-working surveys on a regular schedule to make sure all co-workers’ views are being captured. We’ll also ensure co-workers are fully aware of the benefits they have access to as Future Leap Network members so they can better integrate into the Network as a whole and make the most of the resources we provide. 66
CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS CARBON EMISSIONS & NET ZERO TARGETS Saying you’re working hard to lower your impact on the environment is all well and good, but it’s hot air and guesswork if you don’t have the facts and figures to measure your progress and highlight where you need to improve. We don’t just talk the talk when it comes to lowering our impact. The data gathered below proves we walk the walk. We’ve been tracking our emissions since 2020 and have declared we’re going to achieve Net Zero by 2040. This means reducing our Scope 1, 2 & 3 emissions* by 90% in comparison with our chosen baseline years. Speaking of baseline years, we’ve just finalised ours. After careful consideration, we’ve recently set our Scope 1 & 2 baseline to 2022. That’s when we started renting space in the Old Chapel in Clifton and saw our Scope 1 emissions start to soar. And we’re just about to set our Scope 3 baseline to 2023—the first year we’ve really had an in-depth read on all our Scope 3 emissions. These baselines are now fixed and will inform all the improvements we need to make in the future. 67
FACTS & FIGURES EMISSIONS & NET ZERO Our consultants have created carbon footprints for 100 clients since 2019 and tracked a total of 50,827.48 tonnes of carbon emissions (CO2e). *All this talk about Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions can get quite confusing. Basically, Scope 1 is all the emissions a company creates directly (e.g. by burning gas in their office’s central heating system). Scope 2 is all the emissions involved in generating the electricity a company buys from the grid. And Scope 3 is all the emissions produced by assets a company benefits from but doesn’t own (e.g. emissions produced by employees’ cars when they commute to work and by factories when they make the pens, paper and chairs etc. a company uses day-to-day). 68
FACTS & FIGURES CARBON EMISSIONS 2023-24 Scope 1 Scope 2 4.6% 9.2% 151.15 tCO₂e Scope 3 86.2% Buildings: Waste: 53.83 tCO₂e 0.48 tCO₂e Travel: Supply Chain: 9.46 tCO₂e 87.38 tCO₂e 69
REPORTING STANDARDS AND INCLUSION Our carbon footprint was caluclated following the methodology outlined in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s Reporting Standards. Government published conversion factors have been used to caluclate our carbon footprint for the period July 2023 - June 2024. All relevant emissions categories have been assessed and are summarised below: Operational Emissions Emission Source Scope Percentage Breakdown (tCO₂e) Gas 1 Buildings 6.91 4.6 Electricity 2 Buildings 13.94 9.2 Purchased Goods 3 Supply Chain 83.70 55.4 and Services Fuel and Energy 3 Buildings 5.70 3.8 Related Activities Upstream Transport 3 Supply Chain 3.68 2.4 Waste (inc. Water) 3 Waste 0.48 0.3 Business Travel 3 Travel 3.60 2.4 Commute (inc. 3 Travel 5.86 3.9 WFH) Downstream Leased 3 Buildings 27.28 18.0 Assets 151.15 100 70
FACTS & FIGURES NET ZERO We are commited to acheiving Net Zero by 2040. This invloves reducing our emissions by 90%. 2022 will be used as a base year to track progress for Scope 1 and 2 decarbonisation. The graph below shows our ‘Net Zero Pathway’, tracking an annual reduction of 12% to reach our 2040 target. Since last year our Scope 1 and 2 emissions reduced by 19% from 25.71 tCO₂e to 20.84 tCO₂e This reporting year represents our base year for Scope 3 emissions. To acheive our Net Zero goal, we need to reduce these indirect emissions at a rate of 12.7% annually. 71
FACTS & FIGURES OUR NETWORK & EVENTS The Future Leap Network boasts over 400 members in the UK and abroad. In 2023 alone, we ran 58 events, worked with 50 sponsors, facilitated 3,075 minutes of networking, hosted 175 speakers and welcomed 2,709 attendees. Last year, 13.7% of all tickets for our weekly events were sold for virtual attendance. Our hybrid events are attended virtually by people from such far- flung locations as Chile, South Africa and Australia. Overall, our events have received an average satisfaction rating of 4.5 out of 5. Our Future Leap newsletter reaches over 14,000 subscribers every month. 73
FUTURE LEAP 1-3 GLOUCESTER ROAD BS7 8AA 0117 945 8730 [email protected] FUTURE LEAP CLIFTON THE OLD CHAPEL 16 OAKFIELD ROAD BS8 2AP 0117 244 2455 [email protected] WWW.FUTURELEAP.CO.UK SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER! THIS REPORT HAD BEEN SUSTAINABLY PRINTED. 75
THANK YOU! Thank you so much for reading this far and for taking an interest in Future Leap and our B Corp™ certification journey. We love telling people about sustainability and helping organisations make a positive impact on the world. If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve read, have any questions, or would like to find out how we can help you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Or why not come and pay us a visit? (We’ll get the kettle on.) We’d like to thank Jon Andrews for putting this B Corp™ Impact Report together. And Alan, Fenna, Katherine, Tom, Tyler, Iris and all our team members past and present for working so hard to get B Corp™ certified and make Future Leap the organisation it is today! All that’s left to say is: see you in next year’s report! We’re so excited to see where the next twelve months will take us… 76