Lifting up the UK

State of the Nation 2024

Business in the Community’s (BITC) ‘Lifting Up the UK: State of the Nation 2024’ report, in partnership with Barclays and Schroders, with support from JTI UK, looks at what business leaders are doing across the UK to make a positive impact on people, place and the planet. Through demonstrating how business leaders can be a force for good in today’s world and offering valuable insights from Chief Executives and Board members, this report is designed to inspire business leaders to collaborate and come up with innovative solutions to create long-lasting change.

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Report summary

‘Lifting Up the UK: State of the Nation 2024’ report showcases the positive impact that businesses are already making, as we work towards building a fairer and greener world together. Whilst great progress has been made, the report highlights that there is still work to be done to create greater long-term impact at pace and scale.

BITC surveyed and interviewed Chief Executives and Board members from across the UK’s biggest 450 companies to inform the findings of this report, highlighting the major challenges faced by CEOs, how their businesses are addressing key societal and environmental issues, the evolving role of business in society and what further action CEOs are taking.

BITC is working with businesses in every region of the UK to transform lives, to create a country where:

– Every young person and disadvantaged job seeker feels supported and has a clear pathway into work.

– Every employer is investing in skills that are needed for today and for the future, creating workplaces where everyone has the opportunity to grow and reach their full potential, regardless of their background.

– Every community has a shared sense of pride and hope, with support to tackle the difficult challenges, and has a strong collective vision of a fairer, greener and better tomorrow.

Report Key Takeaways

Engage directly - immerse yourself, your team and your Board in your communities to understand lived experiences and gain a better understanding of how you can support interventions that deliver better outcomes.

Challenge yourself - find ways to take an 'outside-in' look at your organisation. Work with experts to find ways to push your organisation to be bold and lead on key issues including social mobility and climate action.

Challenge others - work together to share insights and knowledge with other leaders beyond the board room. Contribute to a national plan for business to collaborate to deliver scaled impact at pace across the UK.

Unlock potential - engage with stakeholders across different sectors in your place, working together to identify and deliver local solutions in places where it is most needed.

Inspire Hope - Invest and engage your people in coaching, mentoring and volunteering programmes in your community.

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We would like to thank all those who have been surveyed and interviewed for this research, and especially our partners, Barclays and Schroders, with support from JTI UK.

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What is responsible business?

Business in the Community (BITC) defines a responsible business as a healthy business. It is one that puts creating healthy communities and a healthy environment at the centre of its strategy to achieve long-term value.
Our Responsible Business Map, based on the Global Goals, guides our members on a journey of continuous improvement, working across the whole responsible business agenda.

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