The first
B-Corp Certified
Coworking Space
in Portugal
“We are proud to be a part of an ecosystem focused on making the world a better place for future generations.”
Manuel Bastos, Co-Founder
Our pursuit of
sustainability started
at the beginning of our journey
Heden has become the first B-Corp Certified Coworking Space in Portugal. We strive to be a purpose-driven coworking brand founded in Lisbon. B Corps are businesses that live and breathe the highest social and environmental standards for people and the planet, using their power to build a more sustainable world and ensuring that business is a force for good.
Our Sustainability Principles
Six Key Principles that encompass ecological, economical and social aspects of our business
Central Location
Fostering the development of Lisbon as a world class dense and livable city is a cornerstone of our brand’s ethos. Our approach is to help contribute to the containment of sub-urbanisation and cut the CO2 emissions of our community and spaces.
Renewable Energy
Heden is equipped with 48 solar panels, which collectively supply around 50% of the energy needed to power Santa Apolónia per day. We are part of the first Portuguese renewable energy cooperative, Coopérnico, dedicated to offsetting their carbon footprint through the utilization of local power generation.
Green Design
and Construction
We aim to provide an inspiring, comfortable and joyful work environment. Our spaces are enhanced and made unique by our careful considerations and use of natural materials of such as cork, felt, and as many plants as we can fit in!
Conscious Financing
One of the key distinctions of Heden is our use of Crowdlending to raise our initial capital. Crowdlending makes the financing process more accessible to small investors and through its distributed value-creation, can contribute to a more equitable society.
Inclusivity & Equality
Our spaces were created for everyone. We are open-minded and non-judgemental, open to all distinct backgrounds and interests. To fight the gender pay gap, we provide discounts to women and companies founded by women.
Cultural Programming
We consciously and actively pursue activities with a wider positive social and cultural impact. These include the organization of events and talks with environmental themes, the sponsorship of art festivals.
Questions about our sustainability methodologies?
Check our most frequent questions and answers below
There are over 4,000 B Corps across the world – from small businesses to famous multinationals. Well-known members of the B Corp movement are Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s and WeTransfer. The B Corp community in Portugal, representing a broad cross section of industries and sizes, comprises 15 companies and includes businesses such as Hovione, Symington Family Estates, and Abreu Advogados.
Certified B Corporations are required to meet demanding sustainability impact standards across their entire business in five key areas: 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. To complete the certification, Heden is now legally committed to a purpose beyond just driving profit.
Certified B Corporations are required to meet demanding sustainability impact standards across their entire business in five key areas: 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. To complete the certification, Heden is now legally committed to a purpose beyond just driving profit.
At Heden, we are conscious that our actions as a business impact our environment and our world. We want our imprint to be a positive one, and for businesses all over the world to operate responsibly and with care. To do this, we actively consider how our actions influence the communities and the environments around us. Being a Certified B Corporation is a milestone that recognises our values and intentions.
But being a B Corp isn’t just a reflection of what we’ve done so far. It gives us a platform to continue operating as a business with a purpose. Society’s greatest challenges can’t be overcome without businesses playing their part, helping to tackle topics like renewable energy, sustainable waste removal and recycling, reductions in pollution and our footprint, education, equality and inclusion. We are proud to be a part of an ecosystem focused on making the world a better place for future generations.
But being a B Corp isn’t just a reflection of what we’ve done so far. It gives us a platform to continue operating as a business with a purpose. Society’s greatest challenges can’t be overcome without businesses playing their part, helping to tackle topics like renewable energy, sustainable waste removal and recycling, reductions in pollution and our footprint, education, equality and inclusion. We are proud to be a part of an ecosystem focused on making the world a better place for future generations.
B Corp certification demands that companies don’t just use the word ‘sustainability’ but that they can prove they are taking actionable steps towards operating in the most conscious ways possible. We were assessed on our working conditions, our environmental performance, how we conduct business, and how we support local communities, among many other things.
Businesses need a score of 80 points or above to achieve B Corp certification. We’re proud to have achieved a score of 86.1 – and we plan to continue building on this.
Businesses need a score of 80 points or above to achieve B Corp certification. We’re proud to have achieved a score of 86.1 – and we plan to continue building on this.
We’ll continue to ensure that we meet the high standards for sustainability that we’ve set – and those required of B Corps. And we’ll continue to find ways to make a positive impact through our business, working with like-minded partners who are passionate about cultivating change in our world.
