Expanding our international network of social enterprises
As the champion of social enterprise standards and the body responsible for the only internationally available social enterprise accreditation, we are delighted to have announce that we have recently expanded our global network of accredited social enterprises.
AUARA EMPRESA SOCIAL, a new Spanish social enterprise, committed to using profits from the sale of bottled water for investment in social projects to provide clean water to people in need, has recently been awarded the fourth international Social Enterprise Mark. AUARA joins C3, FLOCERT, and Northdoc in the growing network of organisations outside the UK accredited with the Social Enterprise Mark, proving a commitment to trading for people and planet.
From the experience of assessing and accrediting these organisations, we now have a tried and tested international assessment process that can be applied anywhere in the world. In addition, we offer an international consultancy service to advise global counterparts looking to set up similar accreditation schemes for social enterprise within their own countries.
AUARA seeks to turn the everyday act of drinking water into an extraordinary act – to bring clean drinking water to those who have no access to it.
To achieve this, the organisation sells premium branded mineral water and invests 100% of distributable profits in projects providing access to clean drinking water to those in need across the world.
AUARA also seeks to minimise the environmental impact of the consumption of bottled water, and is the first water brand in Europe to use 100% recycled plastic (rPET) for its bottles, which have been specifically designed to be as efficient as possible in terms of transport optimisation.
Antonio Espinosa, CEO of AUARA said: “The Social Enterprise Mark is a way for a social enterprises like AUARA to certify all of our social and environmental commitments. In a country like Spain where the social business model is still unknown by the most, having this accreditation means credibility and transparency. It is an easy way of expressing the core and the mission of our social enterprise.”
Lucy Findlay, Managing Director of Social Enterprise Mark CIC, said “We are delighted to award the Social Enterprise Mark to AUARA, proof of their commitment to trading for people and planet. AUARA has come up with an innovative concept of turning an everyday activity into a means of bringing clean drinking water to those in need.”
“It is exciting to see our network continuing to expand across international borders. We are seeing a growing interest in social enterprise at a global level, and it seems that the UK is acknowledged as a pioneer in this model of business and we at Social Enterprise Mark CIC are the world pioneers of social enterprise accreditation.”
Please click here to find out more about our work as a global champion of social enterprise.
