Travel Chapter is now B Corp Certified

Travel Chapter, home to holidaycottages.co.uk and one of the leading providers of self-catering accommodation across the UK, is proud to announce that it is now a Certified B Corporation. 

Joining a global community of businesses meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency, the achievement comes at a pivotal time for the travel sector, as more holidaymakers and homeowners place greater emphasis on responsible and sustainable businesspractices.

This new certification means Travel Chapter’s largest brand, holidaycottages.co.uk, as well as its network of smaller national and regional brands across the UK are also certified.

“We’re really proud to be a Certified B Corp”, said Jayne McClure, CEO of Travel Chapter, “Although we see this as just the start. We recognise there’s still more we can do from an environmental and social perspective”.

“Travelling inherently has an environmental impact so it’s important that we strike a balance and try to encourage responsible tourism as much as we can. One key element of the business that we are focusing on is working with our homeowners to make their cottages as sustainable as possible so that our guests can holiday responsibly – something that we recognise is an important factor for many choosing a UK staycation.

“Our B Corp Certification is a reflection of the things we were already doing individually and as a business, but now we have this platform from which we can launch new initiatives and demonstrate the exciting sustainable and environmental projects that are underway.”

To become a B Corp, companies are assessed by B Lab, a non-profit organisation that works to transform the economy to benefit people, communities, and the planet. Since 2006, B Lab has been shifting the behaviour, structure and culture of over 150 industries in more than 80 countries in an attempt to move the global economy from one of profit to one that benefits all.

To earn B Corp Certification, Travel Chapter underwent a rigorous assessment of its impact on key areas, including upholding transparency and ethical practices and promoting employee well-being and engagement to ensure its workers are looked after.

Other areas assessed included how the company contributes to the economic and social development of local communities, and how it minimises environmental impact through sustainable practices. As part of its efforts toward sustainability, Travel Chapter has already implemented many changes, including reducing fleet emissions by replacing several high-emitting vehicles with electric vehicles.

It has also supported 48 different organisations through its Regional Community Support and Sponsorship programme which provided £119,700 of funding and sponsorship last year. In addition, it has made a concerted effort to contribute to charity through donations. In the past year, the company has donated to local and national charities including a 12-month partnership with Cancer Research UK which raised £13,695 before Gift Aid.  Furthermore, it encourages its workers to volunteer, with 134 employees already taking paid time out from their day jobs to give back in the local community.

Travel Chapter is committed to addressing the current emissions gap, by investing in reforestation and restoring natural areas. Since the partnership began in 2020, funds have contributed towards projects at RSPB sites to help restore more than 1,000,000 m2 of woodland. In addition, several UK-wide climate and ocean projects for the Marine Conservation Society have focused on recovering species and habitats that can deliver the fastest solutions to the climate and nature emergency.

As part of further efforts, Travel Chapter is also looking to integrate vital principles proposed by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of 17 global targets developed by the United Nations. These targets define global priorities and aspirations for 2030.

Kieran Keohane, Head of Sustainability at Travel Chapter, added: “B Corp Certification is our commitment to continuous improvement.  We are fully committed to using the B Corp assessment criteria to further support our sustainable pathway. These criteria give transparency to our actions, enabling us to take more accountability and review everything we do, ensuring that the company is always improving as we continue our journey to net zero and beyond.”

The efforts have also resulted in Travel Chapter, this year, opening its first, more sustainable office in Norwich; a design that includes solar panels, electric vehicle charging points, and energy-saving LED timed lighting.

Travel Chapter will be re-assessed by B Lab every three years with a rigorous and constantly evolving assessment criteria to make sure it is further progressing its sustainability efforts. 

Travel Chapter’s impact score can be reviewed on an ongoing basis here.