Communications Toolkit
Resources for supporters of the Better Business Act
Once we have the right level of business support, we can then move on to the next phase of influencing changes at Westminster. We will reach out to you with more details around having a meaningful conversation with your local MP.
In this communication toolkit, we hope you and your teams find everything you need to leverage your commitment and influence to build momentum and raise the volume of business voices demanding change.
The tipping point is right in front of us, with energy and commitment from each and every one of us in the coming months, I am very confident we can transform our ambition into a tangible and lasting outcome as we all strive for a fairer and more sustainable future.
Douglas Lamont, CEO of innocent and Co-chair of the Better Business Act
Thank you for joining our coalition as a supporter of the Better Business Act.
Your organisation is now part of a very important mission: to change UK law to ensure that every company here -- whether big or small -- puts balancing people, profit and planet at the heart of their purpose and the responsibility of their directors.
The Better Business Act is a simple legislative solution: By amending Section 172 of the Companies Act we can use existing legal principles to empower directors to consider all stakeholders. To realise this goal, we must amplify and extend our message to grow the coalition of businesses who support the principles of the Better Business Act.
Which is why we are calling upon your organisation, as a supporter, to join us in the next level of engagement by becoming active ‘ambassadors’ of the Better Business Act -- by informing your employees, by posting on your social media channels, by sharing the BBA story with all members of your value chains and peer companies in your industry and urging them to join our coalition.
A message from Douglas Lamont
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Growing the coalition. Resources and sample invites to help us grow the Better Business Act coalition.
What’s in this toolkit?
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Growing the coalition
As supporters of the Better Business Act, you are the driving force behind the campaign. Your help spreading the word about the BBA will be the foundation of our success.
These resources are available for you to download and share:
Please invite your fellow business leaders to join you in backing the BBA.
I am writing to you because (our company/NAME) has joined a coalition of businesses supporting the “Better Business Act”, a campaign to rally business around an ask to government to amend section 172 of The Companies Act. This will ensure that company directors are responsible for advancing the interests of shareholders alongside those of wider society and the environment.
And I believe this is an ethos that is central to (your company), which is why I’m inviting you to join this coalition. The Better Business Act is a business-led campaign, driven by leaders who recognise that the law has fallen behind business culture and who have proven that this approach to business works for everyone. See the attached deck and for full details, I’m also providing a link to the Better Business Act campaign website.
Our aim is to secure as many pledges of support as possible for the campaign principles and then to work with the government and parliamentarians to get legislation passed. We know that there is a lot of support in Westminster for this but that this must be an “ask from business” rather than something they are seen to be imposing on business. Part of our message to government is that the Better Business Act is a unique opportunity to demonstrate UK leadership on the global stage – creating a competitive advantage, driving innovation, accelerating progress to net zero, and aligning with the government’s ambition to build back better.
I think the conditions are absolutely right for change to happen and having (your company) signed up as a supporter -- as simple as completing this form -- will serve to help amplify our voice and reinforce all that you as a business stand for.
Email template for fellow business leaders
Engaging your employees
We hope that your teams will be excited to be part of the Better Business Act campaign. As the campaign builds, there will be more opportunities for individuals to participate, and so we hope that you take this opportunity to introduce the BBA throughout your business.
Here, we provide a sample email to send to your colleagues to let them know you support the Better Business Act and to build excitement about what that means.
Recently, our company joined a very important coalition of like-minded businesses: the Better Business Act is about transforming the way we do business so that every single company in the UK, whether big or small, takes ownership of its social and environmental impact. Together, we’re taking a straightforward ask to government: change Section 172 of the Companies Act to ensure that company directors are responsible for advancing the interests of shareholders alongside those of wider society and the environment.
The COVID crisis, the climate emergency and social inequality are profound and pressing problems that can only be solved if we harness the enormous potential of entrepreneurs, innovation and enterprise. We know that UK voters and consumers want business to do better, research shows that three-quarters of the public think business has a responsibility to protect the environment and the majority favour brands that do good in the world. In short, the world needs every business at its best -- creating good jobs, helping to fix pressing problems and adding value to society.
This is why we have joined this campaign -- the Better Business Act is business-led, driven by leaders who recognise that the law has fallen behind business culture and who have proven that this approach to business works for everyone. I’m sure you’ll agree that our company shares these views. I urge you to visit betterbusinssact.org to get the full details, and to use the attached social media assets as we spread the word and encourage other businesses -- especially our own customers and suppliers -- to join this important campaign.
Thank you for your attention to this, and if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me directly.
A message to your employees
Activating online
As a business-led campaign, the voices of our supporters will be essential for building momentum as we call on the government to amend section 172 of the Companies Act.
This section contains assets and resources for external communications, including:
Add the Better Business Act logo to:
Click here to access and download the logos.
Using the BBA logo
Announce your company’s support for the BBA in your newsletter, including the logo and sample message below:
[company name] is proud to support the Better Business Act, a campaign to change UK law to ensure that company directors are responsible for advancing the interests of shareholders alongside those of wider society and the environment.
Hundreds of businesses have already signed up to create a cleaner, greener, fairer future for all. Together, we will ask for the government’s leadership to help deliver this new contract between business and society. Join us, act now: www.betterbusinessact.org.
Newsletters
We encourage all our supporters to proudly show their support for the Better Business Act on social media. Follow these steps:
1. Follow @betterbizact on Twitter
2. Follow @Better Business Act on LinkedIn
3. Download the templates for Twitter and LinkedIn
4. Check out the sample posts and guide for customising assets
5. Announce your company’s support for the BBA!
Social media
Add your logo here
Responding to media
To keep things as simple as possible for you, and to coordinate who’s talking to which media outlet and when, please refer all media enquiries to:
media@betterbusinessact.org
We’ll work with our agency partners to match more in-depth enquiries to our list of key business spokespeople as well as legal experts who are ready to respond to media.
If the media have indicated that they’d be satisfied with a statement or point-of-view, you can provide the following:
Our company joined the Better Business Act coalition because we believe the world needs every business at its best -- creating good jobs, helping to fix pressing problems and adding value to society. This aligns with our company’s stated mission and values.
(COMPANY NAME) is joining hundreds of businesses calling for a straightforward legislative solution: the Better Business Act will amend section 172 of The Companies Act to ensure that company directors are responsible for advancing the interests of shareholders alongside those of wider society and the environment.
Our company is encouraged by the fact that the Better Business Act is a business-led campaign, driven by leaders who recognise that the law has fallen behind business culture and who have proven that this approach to business works for everyone.
We believe that the Better Business Act is a unique opportunity to demonstrate UK leadership on the global stage – creating a competitive advantage, driving innovation, accelerating progress to net zero, and aligning with the government’s ambition to build back better.
Your company’s position: a statement
Key messages
How would existing companies’ transition into this new legislation?
Click here to read the answer.
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Have any other countries successfully brought in similar legislation to the Better Business Act?
Click here to read the answer.
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What difference could the Better Business Act make to society and the environment?
Click here to read the answer.
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What level of reporting would be required by Directors, should the change to Section 172 be achieved?
Click here to read the answer.
FAQs
Advocacy
The Better Business Act Parliamentary Reception took place on 14 April 2021.
To find out more about the Act and the politicians across Westminster who are backing the campaign to change the law, click here to watch a recording of the event.
Contact us