B Corp - What is B Corporation certification

June 7, 2024
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Definition

B Corp certification is a standard developed by a non-profit organisation called B Lab which certifies companies as socially and environmentally responsible.

B Corp certification looks beyond a company’s financial performance to evaluate its environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) criteria.

It examines, for instance, an organisation's policy for reducing carbon emissions, the percentage of management that comes from underrepresented populations, and the anti-corruption reporting and prevention systems it has in place.

To be certified as a B Corp, organisations must meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency; demonstrate a positive impact on society and the environment through their core values, business practices, and profits; and commit to using their influence as a force for good.

B Corp certification is managed by B Lab, which was created in 2006 by three former Stanford University roommates: Andrew Kassoy, Bart Houlahan, and Jay Coen Gilbert.

The organisation was created after the founders realised that there was no way to understand whether a company was having a positive impact on society.

They decided to change the system so that businesses could create value for all stakeholders—not just shareholders—and thus B Lab was born.

The processes for achieving the B Corp certification are extensive and time consuming, but the benefits outweigh this initial investment.

To learn more about B Corp...

B Corp key stats (as of August 2023)

  • There are 7.000 B Corp-certified companies, in +80 countries and 161 industries.
  • 2.600 of these companies are in Europe (including UK).
  • Total revenue for B Corps is over € 130 billion.
  • The number of B Corps increased by 18% from 2020 to 2021.
  • Between 2017 and 2019, B Corp SMEs’ mean average annual turnover growth in the UK was 24%, compared to an average of 3% for all SMEs.
  • 50% of B Corps have majority women management teams.
B Corp - What is B Corporation certification
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Sources
Screen of an Apiday feature to identified how sustainability is overseen in a company
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