Accouter Group of Companies

Accouter Group of Companies, founding members of The Luxury Property Forum has just been announced as Britain’s first interior design collective to achieve B Corp certification. Having created award winning interiors for over 10 years, AGC has become increasingly motivated do this in a way that not only creates beautiful homes and inspiring spaces, but in a way that puts people and the planet first.

Shocked to learn that 22 million pieces of furniture are thrown away every year in the UK*, they said goodbye to fast furniture, using high quality materials so clients can buy better and buy slower, with selected collections offering a lifetime guarantee.

With brands such as Patagonia, Chloé and Vestiaire Collective now certified in the UK, there is a reason why this movement has become so powerful. B Corps are defined as businesses that want to achieve more than just making a profit. Their company goals and values are committed to creating a positive impact on their employees, communities, clients and suppliers throughout their strategic decisions and operations.

In the summer of 2021, they committed to their B Corp journey and 18 months later they are honoured to be certified. Stella Gittins Co-Founder states:

“We are proud to be the first British Interior Design Collective to join this community of change-makers, alongside a global movement of people using their business as a force for good. B Corp is a holistic approach for us. It shapes our culture and encourages us to acknowledge our business impact and act. Most importantly, it gives us a framework for continuous improvement, so that every day, we become a little bit prouder of what we do. We plan to prove that the breath-taking world of interiors can also be a beneficially breath-taking world”

CEO, Alec Watt adds”

“We know there is cynicism around the topic of sustainability for businesses, which is why it was important for us to achieve our B Corp. B Corp separates the green-washers from the good-do’ers. It shows people that those that really want to make a change, are making a change, and that they are willing to operate in a way that puts people and the planet first, and profit second. For companies like us, the priority is to meet the highest social and environmental standards, and do so with authenticity, transparency, and full accountability.” Adds CEO, Alec Watt.

HOW THEY DID IT.

Working in the luxury sector, which is often negatively associated with over-consumption and a slight disregard for environmental impact, AGC wanted to set a better standard and encourage others to up their game too. You can read their aligned sustainability ambitions here.

To demonstrate their commitment and belief in B Corp, they created a focused team internally to ensure that the improvements whey wished to make as a business are fully embedded into their culture.

“We believe every initiative needs a passionate leader at the helm, which is why we elected Lauren Stoltzman, as our dedicated B-Keeper’’ Stella Gittins explains. Teamwork and collaboration was key when embarking on this journey. Lauren adds, “Our enthusiastic B Corp team worked together to identify all our processes to ensure we are practicing what we preach when it comes to responsible business practices. We now have a village of internal people rooting for change, which makes us a powerful force towards achieving better things as a business. We wanted to come together and step up, and we’re proud to have done exactly that”.

They have also created internal DEI and Sustainability teams that meet regularly to ensure their improvements are forever evolving across their business. Their Head of DEI Veronica Martinis, explains “We are working to create a level playing field in our industry, and a workplace where everyone has equal opportunity, everyone has visibility and everyone has a voice, all barriers removed”. “We know there is more work to do in creating opportunity within our industry and that’s why our educational pledge is currently a huge focus. We will be out in the schools and career fayres and working with United in Design to encourage a conversation and communicate our message with authenticity” she finishes.

Leading their Sustainability goals is the inspirational, Adele Bird. “In our business, there are so many ways we can embed environmental initiatives into our everyday processes. By identifying where we can do better, we have been able to not only change our own internal processes, but in doing so are able to influence our suppliers and industry partners to do the same, making these changes all the more powerful” Adele says.

A key part of their Sustainability Manifesto is to guide suppliers towards sustainable practices. Their Head of Buying and Procurement, Sabrina Mehra explains “All suppliers are now required to complete an environmental questionnaire to give us visibility of the current environmental performance of our supply chain and traceability of our products. With this information, we can start to collaborate as an industry and understand where we can assist and educate to make the most impactful environmental improvements”.

WHAT’S NEXT?

This is not the end, in fact, becoming certified only marks the beginning of their journey. With B Corp by their side, they will continue to better their practices and increase their score by reducing their impact, and further educate and inspire a global movement around them.

Read their Responsibility Page to find out more about their mission

get in touch

37 – 41 Mortimer Street Fitzrovia, London, W1T 3JH

+44 (0)20 3651 3325

https://www.agofc.com

@agofc_