Human performance consultancy ·
MI originated from a long Mission Performance history of investing directly in global and local community projects.
Over two decades, we have invested directly in community projects and linked them to specific corporate programs we have designed and delivered.
Mission Performance Context:
Our B Corporation assessment highlighted the environmental impact we were having through our business activity.
We calculated that 98% of our carbon emissions came from long-haul flights servicing our global client base. Whilst we deliver as much of our services online, there is still a need to ‘get in room’ to practice specific skills and behaviours. We had to act and balance our profit with our impact on the planet.
We had to think like a B Corp and identify creative ways to mitigate our emissions.
B Corporation encourages you to be ‘Business Honest and Transparent’ and combine People-Profit & Planet into your daily operations. Armed with this guidance, we began researching existing methods to reduce our impact.
Carbon offset was an obvious route to take. So we researched it and discovered a mixed picture of how authentic, indirect and ineffective some of these carbon offsetting and verification schemes were.
We had to think creatively and use some principles we learned on previous environmental and socially responsible projects.
In particular, One Week in June was a pioneering global volunteering project that developed four levels of leadership talent across 47 countries over One Week in June.
We had to think like a B Corp and demonstrate leadership by pioneering a more connected and transparent approach to our carbon-offsetting ambitions.
MI defined:
MI was born out of this need for transparency. For every program we deliver for a client, we calculate the carbon emissions associated with the project and turn that into a Unit of Environmental Investment (UEI). This unit is then invested directly in a pre-selected community project detailed in our proposal to the client.
These UEIs could be the number of trees planted in a local environmental reforestation project or a unit of research time for a specific research institution.
MI in practice
UEIs must pass the experience test; you must be able to see and experience them first-hand and measure the activity for every unit you invest.
We have chosen to work with a land-based and water-based organisation in 2023+
- The land-based organisation is https://stumpupfortrees.org/ and for every tonne of carbon, we emit through our travels will equate to 4 native broadleaf trees planted and managed over 12 years.
- The water-based organisation is https://www.sams.ac.uk/, and for every tonne of carbon, we emit through our travels will trigger an equivalent multiplier investment in education and research to support SAM’s purpose and objectives.
The benefits of scaling small MIs have enormous potential to make a large impact on the environment.
Imagine that every product or service delivered to a client came with a corresponding investment to mitigate the carbon impact.
Underpinning principles:
Our values guide us, the B Corp ethos and the principles of E.F. Schumacher’s book Small Is Beautiful:
- Using small, appropriate technologies that are in harmony with the environment.
- Developing sustainable agriculture and forestry practices.
- Promoting local economies and self-reliance.
- Investing in education and training for sustainable living.
- Promoting peace and understanding between peoples.
We would happily share our approach with all businesses keen to link their products and services to a corresponding investment in their communities.
