Corporate activism to take centre stage at Blue Earth Summit in Bristol this October

A three-day business event in Bristol is embracing corporate activism as a headline theme for the first time.  

The organisers of the Blue Earth Summit in Bristol in October say that the leaders speaking at the event have moved from talking about ‘sustainability’ to openly discussing the need for ‘corporate activism’ led by businesses themselves with more radical questioning of business models on the event agenda.

Corporate activism is a public stance taken by a major company to positively impact social and environmental change or legislation, incorporating employee activism. This new, disruptive face of progressive business understands that financial sustainability relies on protecting people and the planet, and challenging outdated practices that cause harm.

Will Hayler, co-founder of the Blue Earth Summit says: “This year the cost of living crisis, the summer of sewage and the vast profiteering of energy companies is driving a new conversation about corporate activism and values. Whilst this discussion is traditionally excluded from business events, we have put it at the heart of the summit reflecting the scale of challenges faced in the UK and environmentally around the world."

Headline speakers at the event include Richard Walker, Managing Director of Iceland, Hugo Tagholm, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage, former Shell safety consultant Caroline Dennett, former business leader Charles Watson now leading River Action UK, environmentalist Jonathan Porrit CBE, business activist and founding member of Fairphone, Tessa Wernink and Extinction Rebellion co-founder Dr Gail Bradbrook.

Richard Walker says “The eighteen-year-olds who are turning up at our tills and applying for jobs now really want to associate themselves with business wanting to do good.” At the summit, Walker will share examples of the corporate activism undertaken at Iceland working to remove palm oil, halve food waste, become net zero and reduce single use plastic. 

Walker says this is all being done “in the face of a cost of living crisis where customers are the most hard pressed around the country, so value for money, making sure they can feed their kids is paramount. We have to keep our value and offering whilst doing good at the same time."

The event attendees are from all levels of business and enterprise who have a shared interest in redefining how we live and work. The organisers purposely include discussion and mentoring sessions so that attendees and speakers interact together throughout the day. 

Hayler continues, “we design the event in a participatory way as we strongly believe the expertise is in the room, not just on the stage. We create space for connections to be made and ideas to be shared informally as well as through the main programme."

Caroline Dennett hit the headlines in May this year when she resigned from Shell after 11 years as a safety consultant and her powerful resignation email went viral as she said their core business was ‘dangerous.' Dennett is leading an all-female panel at the summit exploring how workers themselves can take positive action in the face of bad practices. 

Dennett says “We have entered a new era where the public and especially young people can see through the language of ‘sustainability’ and the greenwash used to cover up terrible environmental and social practices. We need to support people within business to take direct action and be the changemakers." 

The Blue Earth Summit is a three day business conference being held in Bristol from the 11-13 October.  Environmentalist Jonathan Porritt CBE is opening the event with a direct challenge for businesses to move ‘beyond growth’ and seek more radical ways of working that are truly sustainable.

Headline speaker Hugo Tagholm, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage has been in the headlines this week challenging the practices of water companies in the ‘summer of sewage.' He says: “since privatisation, it’s estimated that English water companies have taken out ten times more in profits than they have invested in sewage infrastructure. This is nothing but rampant profiteering, which has put shareholder interests above the environment at every turn. The model isn’t working and we need dramatic change in corporate behaviour and what is deemed acceptable. This won’t be achieved with voluntary measures and industry rhetoric, but rather through tough legislation and regulation to finally hold these polluters to account. Industry profits should now be severely capped until they stop polluting our rivers and seas at will." 

Charles Watson, was a business CEO before stepping over to run campaign organisation River Action UK and echoes the point saying: “Since privatisation the water industry has returned as dividends over £70 billion to shareholders  - and yet not one new reservoir has been built and 20% of our water is lost due to leakages. To describe this horror story as a national scandal is a gross understatement.”

The summit includes a panel discussion with leading business leaders and corporate activists highlighting that younger people have different standards and criteria for work against a backdrop of inheriting a dying planet, poor economic outlook, and not being able to buy a house. 

Speakers on the panel include Dr Gail Bradbrook, Co-Founder of the social movement Extinction Rebellion and honoured in a Women’s Hour Power list and Tessa Wernink, a changemaker and a business activist whose most recent enterprise is The Undercover Activist an education platform that coaches and emboldens young professionals to be optimistic and confident and take constructive action to change their organisations from within. 

Over 72 hours attendees have access to expert speakers and advice such as how to successfully get a B Corp certification, how to harness the science based power of the outdoors, how to super-charge your creativity and problem solving and top tips for eco-ethical supply chain sourcing.