A unique sustainability assessment tool, BEAR, (Business Ethics Assessment Resources) developed by ValueMetrix, is set to launch this week for use by businesses in Jersey and beyond.
The team behind ValueMetrix, the Jersey based, global sustainability and ethics consultancy have launched a new platform that enables businesses to track their course on the sustainability journey.
BEAR is a simple to use, secure online interface which enables businesses to gain an accurate measurement of how sustainably and ethically they are running their business in the areas of Community, Environment, Governance, Workforce and Value Chain BEAR also allows businesses to see how they stack up against local and international benchmarks and to understand where they need to improve and develop their practices.
“Knowing where you are is only the first step,”, said policy expert Hilary Jeune, one of the BEAR directors, “we hope that local companies will use the BEAR Sustainable Assessment tool as a springboard for getting on with the critical changes they need to make to keep pace with a rapidly changing business environment.”
Local companies have been helping the team to fine tune the assessment over the past six months and now it is available for any business in Jersey to confidentially enter their data and see their own score.
Julia Warrander, Group Director, Affinity Private Wealth said, “BEAR is an empowering tool on the sustainable journey, enabling Jersey businesses to objectively measure their status, progress and inspire change for the better.”
Leaders at APEX Financial Services, another test user of the tool said “BEAR provides a clear pathway of steps and areas of focus that businesses can prioritise on their journey to accreditation. The process was educational, thought provoking and assisted us to expand our own internal sustainability plan for the future” said Ian Roberts and Louise Eden (Director and Manager Apex Group Limited).
The launch of this tool coincides with the publishing of Jersey Finance’s new strategy for sustainable finance and underscores the importance of themes such as ethics, sustainability, and social responsibility in the business community. Businesses are increasingly moving to more sustainable practices as part of their overall strategy.
These changes have the prospect of reversing the old dictum of sustainability as an unnecessary cost, to a more holistic view enabling businesses to become more profitable over the longer term by implementing practices that make the company fitter for a more uncertain future.
“I am incredibly pleased to be able bring this product to market at this time,” said BEAR Director Sarah Carre, “we know that business can be the greatest force for good and this assessment tool gives business owners visibility of the path towards a more ethical future for us all.”
