The community interest company offers a neat solution for some UK social enterprises – but can cause headaches for those wanting to scale up through equity investment. Look before you leap into choosing a CIC, advises a legal expert.
Founding editor Tim West reflects on accepting a prestigious prize among the spires of Cambridge – recognition of Pioneers Post's more than 20 years covering the pioneers in social innovation.
ANALYSIS: Chocolate social enterprise Tony’s Chocolonely has a new legal structure to safeguard its mission, which it claims is a model for others to follow. Does its “mission guardians” and “golden share” approach do the trick?
INTERVIEW: Matthijs Visch, EMEA boss at sustainable business pioneer Patagonia, on being an “activist company”, the decision to quit Facebook – and why supply chain headaches still catch them out sometimes.
A move to require all EU companies to consider stakeholder interests would fit within the broader European sustainability agenda, but it faces resistance as “traditional industries” lobby the European Commission.
C SUMMIT: Rabo Foundation managing director Pim Mol says corporate social investors can help embed impact into a parent firm’s strategy – the challenge is to connect the dots to create true scale.
When food giant Nestlé announced it would stop sourcing some Fairtrade ingredients, it sparked much dismay. But was the move justified – and is it the beginning of the end for the Fairtrade mark?
Almost all Dutch social enterprises aim to influence other organisations to act more sustainably – and their work could help drive the shift to a healthier economy, suggests new research.
