about
We inspire, encourage and accelerate action within businesses to address the climate, ecological and social emergency - the “polycrisis”.
Business Declares is a not-for-profit organisation formed by senior leaders with a vast range of experience from the SME, B Corp and FTSE100 sectors, with a business members network underpinned by their commitment towards tackling the climate, ecological and social polycrisis in their businesses, and advocating for systemic change and a just transition.
our story
Business Declares launched in September 2019 at the ICAEW in London, and co-founded by Fiona Ellis, John Elkington, Kate Sandle, amid the growing wave of climate awareness and climate strikes led by Greta Thunberg. The launch was attended by notable individuals including Dale Vince (Ecotricity), Steve Waygood (Aviva), Chris Davies (The Body Shop), Safia Minney (REAL Sustainability) and Stephanie Biden (Bates Wells) - whose organisations became founding members of Business Declares.
Our aim was to raise awareness across the business sector of the imperative to accelerate action to address the climate crisis, biodiversity loss and social injustice, and future proof every business to operate within planetary boundaries. We also looked to galvanise the voice from the business community advocating for regulatory change, to build a resounding voice from business to propel a greater political will for urgent action.
Our intent was to disband after COP26 (originally November 2020, and then rescheduled for November 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) - the rationale being "by then, all businesses will be on a path to net zero..."
We all saw the disappointment about the compromises made, from Alok Sharma to the activists outside."
Fiona Ellis, Business Declares Co-Founder; reflections on COP 26
We have remained true to our mission, and have developed our strategy and principles overtime...
Together with our business members and strategic partners, we have advocated our collective call for urgent systems change, through campaigning, direct action and joining like-minded movements...
After half a decade since Business Declares was launched, upon our reflection on the worsening polycrisis - both overtime, and since we launched in 2019 - we felt that it was critically important to acknowledge this worsening situation by renewing our position statement, calling for urgent transformational change...
The Business Declares Manifesto
The Business Declares Manifesto was published in November 2024, as we entered our fifth year of operations - and incorporated input from 40+ business members, acknowledging that the combined efforts of business, governments and citizens have fallen well short of making any real impact on the climate, nature and social polycrisis, and of delivering a just transition.
Business Declares calls on their business members and the business sector to adopt our renewed best practice principles and set of commitments, regardless of where they are in their transitions, to drive meaningful, urgent change, in the face of the worsening polycrisis.
Our Manifesto highlights our:
3 fundamental beliefs
about the gap between progress and need
5 best practice principles
areas of best practice and the principles underlying them, which we ask our members to openly acknowledge.
3 commitments
our renewed commitments and threshold for becoming a member and part of Business Declares, with its agenda for change
working together
the characteristics of this network that help deliver the outcomes we need.
how we operate
Our ethos focuses on being:
a critical business friend
We convene dialogues, acting as an agitator, to explore the difficult challenges which we know will take collective effort to solve.
collaborative
We engage business leaders who want to add their voice to our resounding, collective call for change.
challenging
We are straight-talking, provocative, and push the boundaries, facilitating conversations on the many complex challenges and uncomfortable truths businesses face.
safe space
We celebrate all companies who join us. We are not perfect, and we are not judging others. We are part of a coalition of the willing, looking to collaborate and accelerate action.
The impacts these crises will have on our society and economy, let alone the planet, will be near-term, fundamental and far-reaching for all, including ourselves, our businesses, and our stakeholders.
We believe that business has a major part to play in tackling the climate, ecological and social emergency - the "polycrisis".
Working closely with other initiatives, including our strategic partners and business members, ensures our work is additive, maximises reach and effects real change.
Doing this in solidarity with others will have far greater power - together, let’s join forces and create the future we want.