Attending the Better Business Summit
Updated: Mar 6
The Better Business Summit took place on Thursday, 19th of January at Manchester Metropolitan University. It focussed on redefining “what it means to create a better world”. With speakers from Patagonia, 1% For the Planet, Faith in Nature and B Lab UK and hosted at Manchester Metropolitan University, this was an event I was excited to attend.
There was a mixture of sessions including panel discussions, keynote speakers, catalyst conversations (where participation was actively encouraged) and even a session where we all got up and danced in the lecture hall! The atmosphere felt warm and enthusiastic, rather than preachy and judgemental, which can sometimes be the case at events like these.
The key motif running through the event was that nature should have a seat at every table, should be involved in every discussion and should have a vote in every decision we take as a human race. Faith in Nature opened the summit with an explanation of how they run their business and this is an approach their board of directors uses when making all company decisions. Nature quite literally has a seat on their board. For the duration of the summit, there was a beautiful woven branch chair placed front and centre in the lecture hall, representing nature’s voice and opinion on all matters discussed.
We discussed a variety of inspirational and important themes, such as how we navigate remote/hybrid working, making money more equal across society, taking a stand against greenwashing and what we stand up for, acknowledging structural inequalities in the workplace and how we can address them, and many more.
The speakers were all outstanding and I made copious notes. There were a few ideas and quotes that really stood out, though:
Faith in Nature’s motto: “What would nature say?”
Sustainability shouldn’t be a side project, it should be part of business as usual.
Confucius: “It doesn’t matter how slow you go, as long as you keep going.”
Erika Rushton: “If you’re not a social business, are you an anti-social one?!”
Change is hard, it’s not meant to be easy!
I expected inspiring talks and thought-provoking discussions, but I hadn’t anticipated the sense of community that would be fostered in one short day. What a privilege it was to be in the same room with so many like-minded professionals. It really did show me that we are starting to see change on a greater scale and that hopefully we can look forward to seeing the tide change on the climate emergency. After all, the tipping point for change is when just 25% of people speak up, as Phil Korbel reminded us.
Hope you enjoyed my little write-up. If you'd like to discuss your translation, proofreading or copywriting needs in the area of sustainability, please do get in touch.
Speak soon!
Marjolein, The Native Crowd