Privately-owned hotel company Exclusive Collection has announced its certification as a B Corp, the first hotel group in the UK to achieve the certification.
Exclusive Collection joins a growing group of companies reinventing business by pursuing purpose, as well as profit. The company has been certified by B Lab, the not-for-profit organisation behind the B Corp movement, as having met rigorous social and environmental standards which represent its commitment to goals outside of shareholder profit.
The Exclusive Collection comprises a group of seven luxury hotels in England, including Pennyhill Park in Surrey, South Lodge in West Sussex, and The Manor House in Wiltshire.
The B Corp certification addresses the entirety of a business’ operations and covers five key impact areas of Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers. The certification process is rigorous, with applicants required to reach a benchmark score of over 80 while providing evidence of socially and environmentally responsible practices relating to energy supplies, waste and water use, worker compensation, diversity and corporate transparency. To complete the certification, the company will legally embed their commitment to purpose beyond profit in their company articles.
Exclusive Collection is now part of a community of 4,000 businesses globally who have certified as B Corps. The B Corp community in the UK, representing a broad cross section of industries and sizes, comprises over 400 companies and includes well-known brands such as The Guardian, innocent, Patagonia, The Body Shop and organic food pioneers Abel & Cole.
Kate Sandle, Director of Programmes and Engagement of B Lab UK, says: “We are delighted to welcome Exclusive Collection to the B Corp community. This is a movement of companies who are committed to changing how business operates and believe business really can be a force for good. We know that Danny and the Exclusive team are going to be a fantastic addition to the community and will continue driving the conversation forward.
“We are pleased to have B Corps of all shapes and sizes as part of our community – from start-ups to multinationals and across many different industries. Business is a powerful force and B Corps demonstrate that you can do good in any sector. WelcomingExclusive Collection is an exciting moment because they have an opportunity to lead the way within the hotel and hospitality industry. We and the rest of the B Corp community are really pleased to support Danny and the team in paving the way for a new way of doing things.”
Danny Pecorelli, Managing Director of Exclusive Collection adds: “It’s been a long but rewarding process to achieve B Corp certification and we’ve learned so much and have so much still to do. We are now embarking on a new chapter for the Collection where we will build on the good that we’ve been doing for the last 40 years and looking at how we can do it better. B Corp is a community that we are very proud to be associated with and we too will play our part in helping to educate and spread the wordthat success in business is as much about people and planet as it is about profit.”
