QBS has been recognised as a channel champion once again in the global fight against environmental destruction — taking the Sustainable Distributor of the Year / Service Provider of the Year titles at the CRN Tech Impact Awards.
Dave Stevinson, CEO of QBS Group, said: « This is a real recognition for the whole group and their tireless efforts to drive our carbon footprint lower by following our purpose of doing what’s right for our people, planet and prosperity. »
Stevinson said many thanks are due to QBS’s employees and an extended sustainability team — including B Corp’s James Ghaffari, QBS non-exec director Anita Bitard, Crystal Doors’ Richard Hagan, Greentech’s, Ben Tolhurst, CRN/Incisive Media’s Doug Woodburn, Seacourt’s Jake Backus, Planet Mark’s Steve Malkin and many others.
« An environmental, social and governance (ESG) rating will eventually become as important as the credit rating, » Stevinson added.
« The channel has a real opportunity to lead from the front. Rather than paying lip service to the climate emergency, QBS has been one of the pioneers in moving to externally-verified net zero carbon as a core part of our sustainability narrative — the result of four years’ hard work. »
Doug Woodburn, head of channel research at CRN, said that the judges had been impressed by QBS’s detailed presentation of its « radical » progress towards net zero and B Corp status.
« The distributor won praise for its brilliant leadership and investment in educating staff, as well as its commitment to influencing the wider IT channel industry, » Woodburn wrote.
According to Canalys research analyst Blake Murray in a CRN / channelweb.co.uk article covering the awards, only roughly a third (35%) of channel partners have set themselves ESG targets — underlining that QBS is blazing a trail.
« We track the IT titans – the top 16 tech vendors – and over the last decade they’ve all set sustainability targets and are increasing them. And rightfully so, because they do bear a lot of the responsibility, » he said. « But on the flip side, partners really haven’t set targets yet. »
Canalys research suggests that 45% of the UK’s 15,000-strong partner community will be setting targets soon. « There is definitely some change coming, » Murray was quoted as saying.
QBS announced becoming the first carbon neutral distributor in the UK back in June, by way of independent verification via Planet Mark.
« We sought to demonstrate to our peers and other organisations that these things are actually possible, and achievable, in an economically successful and growth-oriented business, » Stevinson confirms.