Industry voice: Stone, A Converge Company turns Silver into Gold in pursuit of ESG excellence

Stone has achieved a Gold re-accreditation from CSR Accreditation, the highest level of accreditation from the social responsibility benchmarking expert.

It means the VAR can bring a Gold Standard of sustainability excellence to its colleagues, customers, suppliers and partners.

CSR's accreditation is based on four key pillars of corporate social responsibility - environment, workplace, community and philanthropy. Previously Stone had achieved Silver status, providing focused benchmarks, measurements and reports on its activities in areas such as energy, recycling, staff wellbeing, community engagement and charity work.

The accolade - which required audits of policies and structure - is a welcome addition to Stone's bulging CSR portfolio, which includes its Making a Digital Difference Sustainability Framework, EvoVadis Silver award, UN Global Compact membership, and Valpak Zero to Landfill certification.

Sheryl Moore, Director, Global Sustainability at Stone, said: “Achieving Gold CSR accreditation is a moment of immense pride for us, marking a pivotal step in our sustainability mission. This accolade reflects our actions and our integrity, as we transform heartfelt promises into meaningful, measurable impact.

“By empowering our team and partners, we aim to create a lasting, positive impact. Our journey is always evolving, and we’re dedicated to upholding this accreditation and expanding its positive influence with customers, partners and suppliers," she said.

Richard Collins, CSR-A co-founder and Managing Director, said: “It’s really encouraging to see Stone progress from a Silver accreditation to a high Gold accreditation. At Stone, CSR is central. Starting from a compliance-focused approach, they’ve evolved by introducing a social value calculator and the Making a Digital Difference Framework, enabling clear measurement and growth across four CSR pillars.

“Their efforts are backed by long-term ISO accreditations, UK legislation compliance, and partnerships such as the NHS Evergreen and Open University Net Zero initiatives," he continued. "The workplace pillar is a priority, ensuring a supportive environment that fosters work-life balance and positions Stone as an employer of choice. Community and philanthropy remain core, with CSR as the foundation driving them forward.”

This article is sponsored by Stone Group.