Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

We bring networks and businesses together in pursuit of the common purpose, such that talking about, inspiring, encouraging and accelerating action on climate and ecological breakdown and social injustice becomes mainstream right across the business sector and the work of Business Declares is no longer needed.

Business Declares began in London, UK, and launched on 20th September 2019; and our team is based in the UK.

Our business members are predominantly based in the UK, but we also have members based in North America and Europe, and encourage businesses who commit to fulfilling our Manifesto and commitments to join us, wherever they are in the world.

Business Declares was inspired by the leadership shown by Extinction Rebellion in raising the profile of the climate emergency, and launched in London, UK, during the climate strikes of 2019. We are a separate, independent organisation focused on working with business.

An organisation joining Business Declares involves the organisation completing our application form to demonstrate their intention to fulfil our commitments and align with our Manifesto, and subsequently being notified of approval for membership to our business network by our team.

Values which underpin our ethos and members network include:

• Being bold & radical

• Embedding change at Board level

• Having clear, bold commitments that accelerate action

• Demonstrating proven action on those commitments

Currently, only organisations can apply to join Business Declares - we have also been looking into how employees and individuals can amplify our Manifesto far and wide and engage particularly big business on the polycrisis.

No, an organisation does not automatically become a member of our business network, after completing our application form. Our business membership is not a sign-up process, but rather we vet each organisation which submits an application to join us, to ensure they are authentically committed to joining us and fulfilling our commitments. We have a panel in which potential members are discussed and approved to join us, and we also schedule calls with potential members to follow-up on their applications to us.

Once an organisation is approved to join us and is notified by a member of our team, an organisation becomes an approved business member, and will be guided through the member onboarding process.

As Business Declares are a Partner of the UN Race to Zero, this means that our commitments and Manifesto have been reviewed by the UN Race to Zero and are hence aligned with their criteria - so there is no need to fulfil Race to Zero's criteria separately alongside our commitments.

By demonstrating your organisation's intention to align with our commitments (as shown in our Manifesto and application process), and once an organisation is approved by our team to become a business member of our network, an organisation becomes a member of the UN Race to Zero, via their membership to Business Declares.

We fully appreciate the challenges of trying to tackle all 3 elements of the polycrisis (climate, nature and social justice) - and the overwhelm and paralysis this can cause.

For example, some of the challenges which organisations experience are: reducing Scope 3 emissions, ‘advised/advertised’ emissions particularly experienced by professional service providers, reporting the true, ‘hidden’ costs of doing business, and achieving top-level/board approval on sustainability-related issues.

We also feel that the current systems in which we live do not adequately reward and support those businesses who put people & planet on a par with - or above - profit, in an advantageous position.

If your organisation is committed to understanding and tackling all 3 elements and prioritising areas where you can have the greatest, most authentic leverage/impact in doing so (whether this may be your e.g. clients, suppliers, products/services), even if you don’t know how, Business Declares is still for you.

Regardless of where your organisation is along their transition in addressing the polycrisis, we want to play a role in influencing and accelerating your organisation’s journey, and create real impact in the business sector’s transition towards a post-growth, wellbeing-based system, overall.

No, it does not cost to join us as a business member. However, as a volunteer-led organisation, we welcome voluntary donations of time, money, people, donations-in-kind, or contributions to support our events, advocacy efforts, and overall operations of our network.

We cover all sectors and celebrate action across industry. We do reserve the right as an organisation to not allow businesses to join us, if they are significantly contributing to global heating through their core business model, unless they are completely re-thinking their business model. Organisations who are involved in activities which cause great ecological harm and are not making significant plans to change would also not be able to join.

Please review the details here and complete our application form. A member of our team will then be in touch with you to follow-up and schedule a call and/or address any questions. Once our team have notified you of the approval of your organisation’s member application, a member of our comms team will onboard you as a business member, which would involve adding your organisation’s declaration to your company website, sharing via our members and news pages, and announcing your membership via social media.

We ask our business members to share their transition plans (or equivalent) within 6 months of joining us.

Whilst we do not audit transition plans, we do ask that a transition plan is published and made publicly available in a prominent place on an organisation's website, for members to transparently share their roadmap towards tackling the polycrisis.

For best practice around what members should include and demonstrate in their transition plans, please read our Manifesto, and check out the 'Transition Planning & Reporting' category on our resources page.

We also ask our members to share progress on their transition plans at least annually, for example via their company websites, annual impact/sustainability reports (or equivalent), or via external reporting platforms such as SME Climate Hub or CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project).

Furthermore, each business member is assigned a particular point-of-contact at Business Declares, with whom members can share their progress, as well as challenges being experienced in their transition. In turn, we will also check-in on our members' transition plans and annual reports of progress, as well as challenges our members experience with implementing this and any support needed.

Members are expected to support Business Declares' network - this can be shown in a number of ways: from attending Business Declares' events, supporting our programme of advocacy campaigns, sharing case studies / sustainability reports and plans (or equivalent), or collaborating with and supporting other Business Declares members on each other's transitions.

A shortlist (non-exhaustive) list of the different ways in which members can show up and support Business Declares can be found in page 18 of our Manifesto.

Yes, you can support Business Declares in a number of ways, including:

• donating,

• joining or partnering with us on our events,

• supporting our advocacy and campaigning,

• volunteering,

• becoming a strategic partner and

• connecting us with organisations who can potentially join our business network.