There is no shying away from the fact that 2024 was an extremely volatile year in the world of corporate social responsibility.

Over the course of the year, the pressure has increasingly been mounting on companies to start doing more – much more – to mitigate their negative impact on the planet.

But, there’s also a striking amount of corporates doing work to contribute to a better society.

From charity partnerships to improving EDI efforts – companies are showing some positive steps towards more meaningful impact.

Below, we round up some of the most popular stories to have hit the headlines over the past year. The following stories are the top five most-read articles from our website over the course of 2024.

Funding available to improve diversity in the chemical industry

Applications were being sought for grants to help the chemical sciences sector be more diverse and inclusive.

The Royal Society of Chemistry’s Inclusion and Diversity Fund aimed to offer financial support to “innovative products, activities and research projects” in the sector focused on inclusion.


Health charity cuts pension investment carbon emissions by 93%

Asthma + Lung UK has cut carbon emissions within its pension fund investments by 93% over the last two years.

The decrease by the health charity has been revealed in a progress update on its five-year strategy to ensure its investments and organisation is adhering to its policy of improving air quality in the UK.

Tesco Mobile rolls out sensory box initiative

Tesco Mobile has rolled out a sensory support box initiative to coincide with Neurodiversity Celebration Week.

The initiative, which has launched as a large-scale trial in 50 phone shops across the country, is supported by the National Autistic Society and aims to make visiting a Tesco Mobile phone shop a more positive experience for neurodiverse customers.


Sky launches new EDI initiative

Sky has ramped up its commitment to EDI with a new initiative aimed at working with wider range of diverse-owned/led production companies.

The broadcast giant is inviting companies to apply for a chance to access a minimum of £15,000 towards enhancing their development slate, with ideas directed at Sky Documentaries.


Number of B-Corps in UK surges to 2,000

The number of companies in the UK that have achieved a B Corp Certification has surged, new figures show.

In an update from B Corp Lab, the certification body said that the number of companies across the UK achieving B Corp status had more than doubled in the past 18 months.

---