Agency CSR done right: How Verve grew into a sustainability leader

Now, as we navigate 2024-25, we’re not just reacting to change; we’re defining the future we want to see, for our clients, our people, and our communities.

A sustainable core

In June 2023, after 18 months of rigorous scrutiny, Verve earned B Corp certification, a testament to our unwavering commitment to social and environmental responsibility. This wasn’t just about ticking boxes; it was about proving that we could meet the highest standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency. Achieving this certification has solidified our leadership in sustainable event management, and it’s just the beginning: B Corps have to recertify every three years.

We’ve been trailblazers in the sustainability space for years, being the first Irish agency to achieve the ISO 20121 certification for event sustainability back in 2014. This year, we expanded our environmental commitment across all operations, securing the ISO 14001 certification for environmental management across our offices in Dublin, London, and Amsterdam.

As part of our preparation for that certification, we gathered detailed data on our waste production and launched a new waste segregation system in the source of most of our waste — our warehouse.

On the emissions front, we’ve calculated our scope 1, 2, and 3 carbon emissions for 2022 and 2023 and have committed to calculating our footprint on an annual basis, as part of our policy to "monitor and check our environmental performance and evaluate our level of compliance". We’re on track to reduce by 10% again this year. This is part of our ongoing commitment to monitor and improve our environmental performance year after year.

We also developed Ireland’s first events carbon calculator, an innovation that’s now helping clients across our offices measure and minimize their environmental footprint.

Building stronger communities

Giving back is in our DNA. We’ve forged strong partnerships with local organizations like St. Andrew’s Resource Centre, where we lend our AV equipment, staff, and event expertise to support community events throughout the year. And we’ve dedicated resources to pro-bono work for charities like LauraLynn House - Ireland’s Children’s Hospice - and St. Catherine’s Special School, contributing to their positive social impact in tangible ways.

In 2023, 76% of our employees participated in volunteer services during work hours, fully paid by Verve. Our team has contributed to organizing major fundraising events for multiple charities, provided pro-bono expertise for large-scale fundraisers, and even helped build and maintain community playgrounds. Institutions benefiting from our efforts include LauraLynn Children’s Hospice, the Mark Pollock Trust and St. Andrew’s Community Centre.

But we’re not just about giving back; we’re about building futures. That's why we launched a six-month internship program giving underrepresented young 18-22 adults a foot in the door of our industry, with mentorship, hands-on experience, training, and potential for full-time roles. Meanwhile, we welcome school students annually, providing them with actual work experience, environmental awareness, and business skills to build a future generation passionate about sustainability.

Empowering a team

We’ve implemented a formal local purchasing policy that gives preferential weighting to local suppliers during the evaluation of quotes and tenders. This policy ensures that all staff understand and apply it.

Each year, we also survey and score our top 70 suppliers on sustainability, governance, ethics, and corruption. We directly engage lower-performing suppliers and help them improve, followed by six-month reviews to ensure they align with our sustainability goals - this is an impactful way we use Verve’s success as a Force for Good.

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