EUROPE: Hybrid hospitality pioneer The Social Hub is celebrating achieving B Corp status after being certified by B Lab on its first attempt.
Certified by B Lab, the non-profit behind the B Corp movement, the global hospitality group has achieved the certification with an overall score of 107.1 out of 200 – the average being 94.
The Social Hub currently operates hubs combining hotel and student accommodation, food and beverage, events and coworking spaces in 18 locations across the UK & continental Europe.
You can read our review of the Amsterdam City property here.
Headquartered in Amsterdam the hospitality and real estate group will build on B Corp certification and help drive change in the industry, beginning with a “Green Community Table” event at The Social Hub in Delft, The Netherlands today.
Key figures from across the hospitality, real estate, and business sectors will attend to discuss the future of the respective industries, with panellists including of B Corps including Tim de Broekert of Tony’s Chocolonely and Baba Toure of creative agency Home.
Although there are more than 9,000 B Corps globally and more than 2,000 in Europe, there are just 212 certified hospitality organisations – and fewer than 50 in Europe – which The Social Hub wants to help change.
Amber Westerborg, The Social Hub’s director of sustainability and impact, who helped set the group on its route to B Corp certification two years ago, said: “It’s about walking the talk. There is no hiding place – becoming a B Corp means you are held to the highest social and environmental standards where honesty and transparency are fundamental.”
Westerborg explained customer demand and the rising significance of sustainability amongst travellers, business owners, students, and the wider public were an important factor in the pursuit of B Corp certification, but added the biggest driver has been “our ambition to be accountable and set ourselves apart on the positive impact we can make on the planet and the global community.”
By 2030, The Social Hub has committed to reduce 78 per cent of its greenhouse gas emissions, produce 50 per cent of its energy on-site, achieve further environmental certification through BREEAM (In-Use) for all properties, and divert 100 per cent of residual waste from landfill or incineration.
Community impact is also paramount, with The Social Hub hosting more than 5,500 purpose-driven community events and experiences engaging more than 100,000 attendees across its locations every year, as well as working with other B Corps across its network.
The group has pledged to donate 1 per cent of revenues to the recently launched TSH Talent Foundation, a non-profit that supports change-makers facing barriers to opportunity; presents masterclasses that upskill the next generation of social leaders through The Better Society Academy; and collaborates with Talent Garden to develop skill sprints for students and co-workers within its hubs.
For The Social Hub, B Corp certification is also significant ahead of the roll out of updated European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) for use by all companies subject to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
Charlie MacGregor, The Social Hub’s founder and CEO, said: “Environmental and social responsibilities are crucial to remaining relevant in any industry. It affects customer loyalty, brand credibility, and your ability to do business. Banks are already becoming stricter on who they finance, and legislation such as CSRD makes the urgency greater. Any organisation that doesn’t move now will have to move fast or be obsolete within five years.
“As a large hybrid hospitality company that will soon grow to operate 23 hubs and counting across Europe, we feel the responsibility to keep innovating for the greater good and a more sustainable hospitality sector. B Corp certification is just the beginning. We plan to open more hubs and welcome millions of guests, including students, the next generation of leaders and a central part of our unique community-building model. From here, our contribution to creating a better society will only get bigger and bolder.”
You can read an interview Sustainable Hotel News did with MacGregor below.
Image: Supplied TSH