BetterBusiness helps small and medium-sized businesses structure their ESG approach. The company’s ShiftingPact label gives SMEs a concrete and pragmatic tool to start taking action.
“SMEs want to act, but lack a framework”
SMEs are a key economic driver in Belgium. Unfortunately, they often face a major obstacle to integrating sustainability into their strategy: a lack of structure and support.
“Companies want to take action to achieve sustainable growth, but often lack a communications department and ESG strategy,” explains BetterBusiness representative Eliane. “Our mission is to give them the tools they need to make concrete progress.”
BetterBusiness relies on three major levers to help these companies structure their transition:
- A carbon footprint assessment;
- The B Corp label, an international certification for companies with a positive impact;
- The ShiftingPact label, which was specifically designed to underpin SMEs’ sustainable commitment.
“ShiftingPact: a concrete framework for action”
Faced with the many existing initiatives, BetterBusiness identified a specific need among SMEs: a clear and accessible first step towards sustainability.
“SMEs have a lot of information and a genuine desire to bring about change. But they get stuck when it comes to putting their knowledge into practice,” says Eliane. “We want to show them that doing so is possible, and that they already have everything they need in-house.”
Thus ShiftingPact was born: a label that enables companies to assess their impact and put in place a tailor-made action plan.
“Two key criteria for obtaining the label”
The ShiftingPact certification process is based on two main evaluation criteria:
1. Measuring the company's impact on society and the environment, based on the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “We want companies to be able to proudly state 'these are the sustainability goals we are contributing to’,” Eliane points out.
2. Analyse existing in-house best practices for the three ESG pillars (Environment, Social, Governance).
“From thereon, the company draws up an action plan detailing all the initiatives it is committed to implementing in the following years,” she adds.
“A label that will evolve with tomorrow's challenges”
ShiftingPact is not just a one-off certification: the aim is continuous improvement.
“The label will adapt to societal and environmental realities. If standards evolve, we'll evolve with them,” Eliane asserts. “SMEs represent 95% of the Belgian economic fabric. They are an essential link in the value chain and need to be supported over the long term.”
BetterBusiness is already planning future developments, including a community of certified companies to encourage the exchange of best practices, dedicated events, and webinars.
“Forum Ethibel plays a key role in the label's credibility”
To guarantee that certification is impartial and rigorous, BetterBusiness chose Forum Ethibel as the label’s external auditor.
“We need an outside eye to certify that our work is fair and objective,” says Eliane. “Jérôme and Alderik from Forum Ethibel do a fantastic job. This collaboration strengthens the credibility of the label and enables us to lay a solid foundation for the future.”
With clear certification, structured monitoring, and a willingness to evolve, Shifting Pact is set to become an effective tool for SMEs wanting to embark on a sustainable transition.
