B Corporation

EQ Investors is proud to be a Certified B Corporation (B Corp). We see our purpose as more than just making a profit. We are part of a global community of leaders who see business as a force for good.

What are Certified B Corporations?

  • A community of leaders redefining success in business: there are 3,000+ B Corps across 60 countries globally, including Ben & Jerry’s, Patagonia, and Triodos Bank.
  • Businesses with a legal requirement to balance profit with purpose – considering the needs of all their stakeholders, not just their shareholders.
  • Businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance.

Our mission

To improve our clients’ well being through good financial planning and to connect capital to sustainable businesses by offering impact investing to everyone.

Our B Corp Journey

EQ investors became a founding UK B Corp in 2015

The certification process is run by the independent non-profit, B Lab. We recertified in 2017, and are preparing to do so again in 2020. To see the results of our latest verified B Impact Assessment please click here.

More so than ever before, the most successful, respected, and desirable businesses exist to do much more than make money.

John Spiers, CEO

96.9 / 200

Our overall score on the B Impact Assessment

On the road to net zero

As a business, EQ Investors recognises the global climate emergency

Alongside a group of global B Corporations, we have committed to become a net zero carbon emission business by 2030. In doing so, we takes responsibility in supporting the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

Our strategy

We have developed a net zero strategy to guide our business along the decarbonisation pathway that we want to target:

  1. We are measuring the carbon footprint of our operations and working with stakeholders to reduce emissions over time. We aim to offset the remaining emissions that cannot be mitigated.
  2. We recognise that climate change carries significant risks and opportunities for the investments we manage on behalf of our clients. To reflect this, we are committed to:
    • engage to reduce the carbon intensity of investment portfolios over time,
    • measure this transparently, and
    • report on this to our clients across all portfolios we manage.

    As part of this wider effort, we publicly support the recommendations by the Task Force for Climate Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), and encourage partner firms and investee companies to adopt these.

Life at EQ

EQ stands for ‘emotional quotient’ – so we aim to be an emotionally intelligent workplace

We do this through progressive policies that support the well-being and motivation of our people:

  • We support flexible working hours within teams
  • All staff are offered professional 1-1 coaching and free financial planning advice
  • All staff can volunteer 2 days a year for charitable causes
  • We provide free fruit in the office and promote healthy lifestyles
  • We buy sustainable office supplies and recycle as much as we can
  • We have a quiet room and a beach!
The EQ Beach

Our B Corp Network

B Corp is more than just a certification. It’s a community. This is why EQ chooses to work with other B Corps first:

Red Inc
Red-Inc supply us with eco-friendly office supplies, from recycled paper to bamboo-made banner stands.
Impact Marathon Series
Impact Marathon Series combine a passion for health and sport, with impact in developing worlds. We sponsor their Malawi marathon, providing an intimate experience for the participating runners, and making a difference for the locals through education, healthcare and agriculture.

Here are just a few more B Corps that we’ve partnered with:

  • Bates Wells
  • Escape the City
  • I.G. Advisors
  • Resonance
  • Toast Ale
  • WHEB
  • Wholegrain Digital

Best for the World

In 2017 & 2018 we won a ‘Best for the World’ award for our work on impact investing

The EQ Positive Impact Portfolios allow individuals to invest in companies creating solutions to social and environmental problems, and placed EQ in the top 10% of B Corps worldwide for our score in the Customers section of our B Impact Assessment.

We look forward to earning our place in the top spot when we re-certify in 2020!

Best for the World Customers 2018

Protecting our mission

As a Certified B Corporation, we have a legal obligation to consider the impact of our decisions on all our stakeholders, not just our shareholders. This is enshrined in our company’s governing documents. This legal framework applies to all B Corps, and is designed to help us protect our mission for the long term.

In addition, we an ambitious plan for the future ownership of our business. 90% of our staff are already shareholders in EQ, and part of the business is owned by our sister charity the EQ Foundation. We’ve set this up to ensure that as we grow, our commercial interests stay aligned with those of our clients (and of all our staff) – and so that a portion of our profits is donated to charitable causes.