Peer Learning Forum: Does positive impact outweigh the negative?

This is an online event taking place on Microsoft Teams

Audience

Business in the Community (BITC) members who have advisory in their membership package. Our Peer Learning Forums (PLF) are open to all members who have advisory in their membership package – hosted by our issue experts, there are 20 forums a year, covering a range of responsible business areas and enabling our members to discuss challenges, solutions and ideas.

About the event

After over 40 years of helping businesses understand the positive impact they can create in communities, BITC is starting to see a change in tide. Businesses are beginning to recognise that in these times of 2 x existential crises of the climate emergency and the AI industrial revolution, that it’s time to understand if the positive impact of the business for society and the environment outweighs the negative impact.

Whilst some business models are inherently designed to benefit wider stakeholder groups (social enterprises, co-ops and mutuals, employee-owned businesses), for others, ‘purpose’ has long been the measure of whether a business exists for reasons beyond making a few people rich. But ‘measure’ is a strong word. BITC has long believed that a purpose needs to be measurable against KPIs and metrics, yet few businesses have stepped up to this challenge [Anglian Water Services – Purpose Impact Assessment]. And yes, it is a big challenge, so in the shorter term, we’ve asked companies to understand the long-term, sustainable social impact of their activities instead of just measuring short-term inputs and outputs only. Yes, that’s also hard, but charities and governments have been doing it for over 30 years.

We’ve asked businesses to create a long-term, evidence-based social impact framework to complement their Net Zero framework. BITC members are rising to the challenge(Crown Workspace social impact strategy).

Join us at this Peer Learning Forum to discuss with BITC experts and colleagues from BITC member companies how we can understand the long-term social impact that companies are creating, providing a continued license to operate across a future that is only going to get tougher for employees and consumers.

About Business in the Community’s Peer Learning Forums

BITC’s Peer Learning Forums provide a confidential environment to discuss common issues, solutions, and good practice. There will be an emphasis on discussion and sharing experiences. All contributions from businesses will be confidential within the group and won’t be shared externally by BITC.

Booking and contact details and further information

• Contact Jessica.hart@bitc.org.uk , Event Coordinator, BITC for any further questions.
• Full joining instructions will be sent before the event.

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