We’re a B Corp!: Wood for Good Joins the B Corp Community

We’re proud to announce that Wood for Good is a certified B Corp.

As a B Corp, we are part of a community of almost 500 companies in Australia and New Zealand and more than 5,000 globally who believe in the power of business as a force for good. This is the way we believe business should be done.

?What are B Corps?

B Corps are companies that seek to balance profit with purpose and must meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. The B Corp movement aims to transform the global economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet. Key to this is that B Corps are legally required to consider the interests of all stakeholders in our decision making.

?About Us

Creating positive impact for our workers, community, environment and customers has always been at the heart of our business. It is what we have always done. So pursuing B Corp certification was a natural step for us.

We started Wood for Good six years ago as a means to recycle and repurpose the wood harvested from Project Green Group’s (PGG) tree removal projects. All suitable wood is then harvested into a range of firewood products, providing the ideal way to minimise waste. Proceeds from these sales are donated to charities within Australia and internationally.

Last year, as well as donating 100% of our profits, we were able to provide more than $230,000 of wood chips and sawdust to the Botanic Gardens and schools in South Australia.

One of the things we are most excited about at Wood for Good is our Indigenous employee program which seeks to enhance social inclusion by providing employment and training opportunities to Indigenous Australians. Trainees are offered entry into the Certificate III Arboriculture course, to further their employment in the tree industry.

In 2022, we had two trainees who participated in the indigenous engagement program in conservation and land management. Both now have full-time employment and the opportunity to work and connect back to country directly. We hope to see this program grow in the years ahead.

?The Journey

Becoming a B Corp is a complex and rigorous process. B Corp certification goes beyond a product or service-level certification, it examines your entire company ? meaning every part of our business operations was put under the microscope.

The assessment measures a business’ impact in five key areas: governance, workers, community, environment and customers. This required gathering and collating information, documentation, amending our policies and formalising existing operations. One of the changes we made was to formalise our existing donations commitment. We commit to donating at least 20% of our profits to DGR status charities but are proud to have donated 100% of our profits each year since launching in 2014.

After two years of planning, measurement and improvement we are proud to successfully certify, with a score of 84. You can view our impact assessment here.

For us, our certification is a testament to the positive impact we create through business. It is a way of staying accountable and ensuring that as we grow, we are set up to support our workers and community, and protect our environment.

?It’s Just the Beginning

Wood for Good’s certification is just the first step in our journey. Part of PGG, we work closely with our sister organisations, Project Green and Austral Tree Services. Together, we are focused on preserving and regenerating nature through a range of initiatives including green asset mapping and management, nature education programs and vegetation consulting.

?“At PGG we live and breathe trees, and are committed to playing a leadership role in tackling the climate crisis. Being a B Corp means we’re now also part of a passionate and thriving community of businesses led by people who are continually searching for ways to do better business. I am really looking forward to collaborating with others, to share knowledge and learn from each other, so we can create greater change.” - Craig Hosking, co-owner PGG.

The next step for us is to work towards certification for Project Green and Austral Tree Services.

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