CA Student, Danielle White, on building a sustainable business
Danielle White, CA Student, and Matthew Walker, CA Student, at Savora Drinks have joined ICAS, Chartered Accountants Ireland and ICAEW’s 1000 Chartered Accountants campaign. We’ve spoken to Danielle about incorporating sustainability into their business plan from the outset.
Savora Drinks, who create premium mixers expertly crafted for pairing with Tequila, has had a strong focus on sustainability innovation right from the start: “We have three pillars within our business which we always refer back to with every decision we make. These include being innovative, sustainable and empowering our community.
“With sustainability being a core part of the business, we ensure that each decision we make considers the impact on our environment. This includes evaluating all processes, from the manufacturing side of the business to selling it directly to customers. Working with our suppliers, we have scrutinised the ingredients we use and ensured they have the correct certifications for good soil practices and ethical working environments.”
The company offset their carbon footprint from the very start of the business to demonstrate their dedication to sustainability and hope to become carbon negative in the near future. With the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) being described as a 'code red for humanity', it is becoming more and more vital for businesses to do their part to create a sustainable future. “Being sustainable is really important because if our environment continues to change at its current pace, we may find that the world we know will no longer accommodate the business we have built.
“We can already see this from businesses who, for example, produce plastics and the impact this had with microplastics infecting water sources and the aftermath effect on wildlife. At Savora Drinks, we want to ensure we always keep a step ahead and are truly considering the impact of our products to not only mitigate further impact on our environment but to begin adapting to understand how a business can have a positive effect on the environment around us.”
Combining a full-time job and studying for the CA qualification with building a new business have certainly made for a busy few years for Danielle and Matthew. So how have they managed? “Whilst it has definitely had its challenges training to be a CA, as well as setting up a new business, it has been a great couple of years of learning.
“Matthew and I are both in the same position of training to be CA’s and we constantly help each other adapt which makes the process a lot easier. The skills we picked up from our qualification really guided us in how to set up the business and create a strong financial foundation,” adds Danielle.
So, what lies ahead for Savora Drinks? “We are going to continue striving to achieve the three pillars of the business and hope that as our company grows, our impact becomes greater on helping the environment and our community. We are wanting to create more innovative products down the line which will include drinks with local ingredients, harvested in season, to limit the travel of each ingredient and allow customers to appreciate food and drink right from their doorstep.
“From seasonal mixers to repurposing our waste, there are huge opportunities for sustainable innovation, and we can't wait to see where we can take things.”
Are you a CA who is acting on the climate crisis? Then we’d like to hear from you – share your success with us here.