Good Business Charter’s 2023/24 Annual Report

Friday 9th February, 2024

By Jenny Herrera, CEO of Good Business Charter  

As we mark our four-year anniversary, we are excited to publish our 2023/24 Annual Report. Reflecting on our progress and highlighting key findings and challenges, this has been a good opportunity to see how businesses are shifting their perspectives and prioritising good business behaviour.  

Over the past year, there has been a growing momentum in the campaign for responsible business behaviour, emphasising the need for businesses to prioritise people and the planet. The spotlight has shifted towards people-centric issues, with an increased emphasis on employee wellbeing and representation. Despite challenges, there is growing consensus that treating employees well is crucial for recruitment, retention and overall business success. 

Key metrics in the report highlight ongoing issues, such as millions of workers being paid below the real living wage and widespread insecurity in employment contracts. However, there is also a growing demand from consumers and employees for companies to take action on environmental and social responsibility. 

Despite the occasional setbacks, we remain committed to our mission of promoting responsible business behaviour. Through annual renewals and ongoing advocacy, we want to inspire more organisations to prioritise people, planet and ethical business practices.  

The report showcases just three organisations and how they have embedded the principles of the Good Business Charter – but there are many more we could have chosen and it is encouraging to see organisations really take hold of the framework of the 10 components and be brave enough to hold themselves to account across such a wide-ranging set of commitments. We particularly applaud those who have been accredited since 2020 and continue to lead the way in championing responsible business behaviour. 

Good Business Charter accreditation gives a clear signal to everyone that those organisations who are awarded it truly care for their employees, customers, suppliers and the planet, all whilst paying their fair share of taxes. For those without GBC accreditation, you cannot guarantee that this is the case. We believe the public want a clear way to differentiate and this is our mission – to clearly show people which companies and other organisations put people first across our ten minimum standards.