— and with this commitment comes a first responsibility: to be radically honest. That means we say things as they are, even when they don’t put us in a comfortable spot.
However, we know that only stating the truth won’t take us very far. Our first responsibility calls for a second one: to understand. Because we can't solve problems we don't comprehend.
Inevitably and without question, our third responsibility is to take pertinent action. For people, the planet and our company. And for the long run.
For our 2021 Responsibility Report, we’ve chosen to share what we’ve accomplished and what we’re working on, but also where we’re struggling and falling short. To show we’re building on everything we’ve done so far, and taking active steps to drive positive change.
To be quite blunt, the building blocks of our success to date are also our biggest responsibility hurdles. We’ve called them the ‘elephants in our room’. We’ve outlined them hereafter, but head to our (2021 report) for a thorough deep-dive on what they mean and what we’re doing about them.
The largest elephant in the room. We make a product – and with a product comes a life cycle, which equals impact at each stage.
Another big elephant. We’re a brick-and-mortar retailer, with over 80 stores across Europe. That’s electricity, water, gas. Renovations, deconstruction, reconstruction. Materials, transport, and waste.
And a third elephantidae. It’s a big one. Our supply chain is spread across the world. This implies that we work with many stakeholders not always within sight, and impact communities near and far.
We’re a B-Corp since 2021, and very proud to be. It certifies what has been at the heart of Ace & Tate’s responsibility journey. A hyper practical, let’s-roll-up-our-sleeves approach to what needs to be fixed. External or our own, we recognize a problem, understand it, work on it — ensuring we move ourselves and our industry forward.
