Kingston Council receives accreditation for putting people and planet at the heart of business
The council has been accredited to the Good Business Charter, which demonstrates commitment to high quality employment responsibility, environmental standards, engaging suppliers and customer service.
Kingston is the first local authority in London - and only the second nationally - to be accredited. It joins a long list of 650 organisations including major financial firms, construction, social care and leisure businesses.
The Good Business Charter (GBC) is a simple accreditation which organisations in the UK can sign up to in recognition of responsible business practices. It measures behaviour over ten components, including real living wage, fairer hours and contracts, employee well-being, diversity and inclusion, environmental responsibility and ethical sourcing. An organisation must meet all 10 commitments to receive GBC accreditation.
Cllr John Sweeney, Portfolio Holder for Business and Leisure at Kingston Council, said:
“We are very proud to be the first London Council to commit to becoming a fairer, more responsible and ethical employer. Kingston Council became an accredited London Living Wage Employer by the Living Wage Foundation in 2019. Signing up to the Good Business Charter demonstrates our commitment to ethical and good quality ways of doing business, with suppliers, residents, partners and staff.
“Together with the Kingston business community we can lead by example. We encourage all local firms large and small to sign up and proudly wear their ‘good business’ credentials. Businesses that sign up can tag us at @BusinessRBK so we can help spread the word and encourage even more businesses to join the Good Business Charter in Kingston.”
The Good Business Charter is an initiative of the Good Business Foundation, a charity registered in England and Wales. The CBI (Confederation of British Industry) and the TUC (Trades Union Congress) both have trustee representation on the board of the Good Business Foundation to ensure that the voices of business and employees are heard.