Building a B Corp legacy – our journey to certification 

In an industry often scrutinised for its environmental impact, Agilité was founded with the ambition of bringing about positive change from within the construction sector. Our purpose from day one was to maximise customer experience while minimising negative impact, and it’s this sentiment that drove us to seek B Corp certification and commit to doing business responsibly.  

As we’re halfway through B Corp month 2025, we spoke to our operational excellence director, Kirsty Shearer – one of Agilité’s founders, and the driving force behind our B Corp certification – to find out what it means to be a part of this forward-thinking collective, and a part of Generation B.  

When Agilité was established in 2018, the vision was clear: to create a company that prioritised both customer satisfaction and environmental and societal stewardship. With a small team, allying everyone to this vision was straightforward. However, as we expanded across Europe, it became more challenging – as each country we work in has its own standards for societal and environmental responsibility. 

In 2019, we began exploring potential certifications to formalise Agilité’s commitment to responsible business practices – but it was hard to find something that covered all elements of ESG. B Corp was the only framework that comprehensively addressed the company's goals – although admittedly it felt like a real mountain to climb. 

Partnering with B Corp consultancy, A Beautiful Green, we conducted a thorough assessment of our performance across five key areas – governance, workers, community, environment, and customers – to establish a baseline, and therefore a foundation for measuring, managing, and improving the company's social and environmental impact. 

The actual journey to B Corp certification was a rigorous one, requiring two years of dedicated effort to ensure Agilité's long-term vision and values truly aligned with its outward actions – a process that involved making changes on both micro and macro levels. 

In December 2023, Agilité proudly earned its B Corp certification, marking a significant milestone in its journey towards responsible business practices. But the work doesn’t stop there. In fact, we’re already starting to think about our recertification in 2026.  

The knowledge gained during the certification process has empowered us to implement responsible practices throughout everything we do. Since the certification, I’ve moved into the role of operational excellence director, and it’s my job to ensure we keep our purpose front-and-centre as we continue to grow. I’m building a team across key areas of sustainability, quality, health and safety, operations, IT, governance, and communications to ensure we continue ‘walking the walk’.  

We’re working hard to surround ourselves with like-minded partners too, and Agilité's commitment to sustainability extends beyond its projects to its entire supply chain. Our responsible purchasing programme seeks partners who share our long-term guiding principles and, by leveraging data-driven decision-making tools like Airtable, we’re able to track regulatory compliance, performance and sustainability scores to ensure we’re working with the right people.  

With an exciting pipeline of projects in new geographies and collaborations with innovative clients, supply chain engagement is a real priority. Last year, we piloted supplier forums in the UK and it’s something we’re looking to roll-out across each of our locations in 2025. Bringing our partners along with us on the journey is really important, and exactly what this year’s B Corp month theme of ‘Generation B’ is about.  

Longer-term, we’re aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and are working with Neutral Carbon Zone (NCZ) to monitor, report on, and reduce emissions across our entire value chain. Currently a gold-certified member of the NCZ Certification Programme, Agilité is striving for platinum certification. 

I may be biased, but I truly believe that by continuously raising its standards and embracing innovative practices, Agilité remains – as it always has been – dedicated to creating a better tomorrow for people, the environment, and the global community.