Good company: the capitalists putting purpose ahead of profit

As protest and environmental alarm escalate, a new breed of business is prioritising values other than money and growth

In a volatile world jolted by protest, revolt and environmental alarm, capitalism is showing signs of twitchiness.

For decades, business has been all about maximising profits and keeping owners happy. Now, thousands of companies and organisations are experimenting with broader values - purpose over profit, staff and communities ahead of shareholders - in order to meet the mood of the times.

Driving this shift in consciousness is a phalanx of upstart, sustainable businesses. They cluster under different groupings - Conscious Capitalism, B Corp, The B Team, Just Capital - but all share the same central objective: to reshape capitalism for an environmentally endangered age.

The best of these boast laudable motivations. In the past, if you wanted to change the world, you went into politics or joined a campaign group. Given the shift of power and resources to the private sector over recent decades, the smart money is increasingly on business to deliver solutions.

Not business as usual, that is. Plastering products with eco labels or providing perks to employees will make not a jot of difference if, behind the scenes, companies are still happily burning fossil fuels and browbeating suppliers.

"If businesses really want to be part of this movement for change, then great. But that change has to be radical and transformational. If not, it's empty words and spin," says Katie Hill, a spokesperson for the ethical certification body B Corp, which now counts over 3,100 registered members in over 70 countries.

What is a B Corp?