The Exclusive Collection has as announced its certification as a B Corp, becoming the first hotel group in the UK to achieve B Corp certification.

The privately-owned hospitality company, which runs luxury hotels including Pennyhill Park and Lainston House, has been certified by B Lab, the not-for-profit organisation behind the B Corp movement, as having met rigorous social and environmental standards which represent its commitment to goals outside of shareholder profit.

The B Corp certification addresses the entirety of a business’ operations and covers five key impact areas of Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers.

The certification process is rigorous, with applicants required to reach a benchmark score of over 80 while providing evidence of socially and environmentally responsible practices relating to energy supplies, waste and water use, worker compensation, diversity and corporate transparency.

Danny Pecorelli, managing director of Exclusive Collection said: “It’s been a long but rewarding process to achieve B Corp certification and we’ve learned so much and have so much still to do. We are now embarking on a new chapter for the Collection where we will build on the good that we’ve been doing for the last 40 years and looking at how we can do it better. B Corp is a community that we are very proud to be associated with and we too will play our part in helping to educate and spread the word that success in business is as much about people and planet as it is about profit.”

Kate Sandle, director of programmes and engagement of B Lab UK, added: “We are delighted to welcome Exclusive Collection to the B Corp community. This is a movement of companies who are committed to changing how business operates and believe business really can be a force for good. We know that Danny and the Exclusive team are going to be a fantastic addition to the community and will continue driving the conversation forward.”

Exclusive Collection is now part of a community of 4,000 businesses globally who have certified as B Corps.