We’re excited to announce that Treepoints is now a Social Enterprise! From the very beginning, we have always had a clear social and environmental agenda: simplifying the fight against climate change. And it’s with this mission that we are joining other social enterprises in changing the world for the better. 

What is a social enterprise? 

Social enterprises are businesses that make a positive difference in the world. So becoming a certified social enterprise means doing business in a different way, benefitting society through advancing a social or environmental mission. 

Like traditional businesses, social enterprises aim to make a profit, but it’s what they do with their profits that sets them apart. As a rule, social enterprises reinvest or donate at least 50% of their profits to create positive social change. Through this, they are able to tackle social problems, support communities, and help the environment – making sustainable development goals a reality.

Well known examples of social enterprises are The Big Issue, Divine Chocolate, and Toast Ale (who are one of our lovely partners). And now Treepoints! 

Why Treepoints is a social enterprise

The climate crisis is the biggest challenge of our generation, and we’re running out of time to fix it. The aim of Treepoints is to help individuals make a meaningful difference in the fight against climate change, starting immediately. And we do this by making it easy for anyone and everyone to offset their carbon footprint, with a goal of carbon neutrality. 

Becoming a Social Enterprise is our way of showing our commitment to our environmental mission. We are transparent about how we operate and our impact – the combined impact of the Treepoints community. And we are proud to be a part of the Social Enterprise UK network, working alongside other businesses to promote a better future. 

What are the requirements to become a certified social enterprise?

To be certified as a Social Enterprise by Social Enterprise UK, there are several key requirements. We are proud to say that these requirements are Treepoints core values.

1. Business has a clear social or environmental mission.
2. An independent business.
3. Controlled or owned in the interests of your social mission.
4. Reinvest or give away at least half your profits or surpluses towards your social purpose.
5. Transparent about how you operate and the impact that you have.

If you have any questions on the above, and how Treepoints meets these points, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team ([email protected]) who would be delighted to talk it through with you. 

Who are Social Enterprise UK?

Social Enterprise UK is the leading global authority on social enterprise. And they are the biggest network of social enterprises in the UK. They work with some of the largest companies across the UK to support social enterprise through their supply chains, people and networks. 

By becoming a social enterprise, Treepoints has joined this network of businesses fighting for the social and environmental welfare of our world. 

Does this change anything for Treepoints and its members?

In terms of your member account, nothing at all will change for you. Becoming a social enterprise, we’re making a legal commitment to our pursuit of doing good. This has been our mission right from the very start, and drives every decision that we make. 

We’re sharing this news with you, our community, to help you understand what Treepoints does and how we’re all working together towards a better future for our planet. 

What is the Treepoints mission?

The Treepoints mission is a very simple one: to help everyday individuals do good for the planet. And this mission informs what we do. We simplify climate action and show everyone how easy it is to make a meaningful difference. 

We can only successfully fight climate change if we all take responsibility for our impact on the world. By joining the Treepoints community, you can take responsibility for your carbon emissions. And offsetting your carbon footprint is the first step to a greener future for our planet. Making this simple is what Treepoints do. 

Read more: Understanding your carbon footprint

Where do Treepoints profits go? 

Transparency is at the heart of everything we do at Treepoints. We want you to feel confident knowing exactly how your money is being spent. 

As and when Treepoints makes a profit, at least 50% will be reinvested in carbon reduction projects, in line with the terms of Social Enterprise UK. We hope that this will one day be 100% of profits, but as a company just starting out, we’re a long way off yet! Rest assured, when we do get there, we’ll keep our community members in the loop and a core part of this conversation all the way through the process.

So what are you waiting for? Head over to Treepoints to start your carbon offsetting journey.

New to the climate change game? Not a problem, check out this article for a quick rundown on understanding your carbon emissions, and we’ll tell you everything you need to know. 

If you’re interested in learning more about Social Enterprise UK and their work, you can read more here.