The world is changing and so is the way business is done. Some may say it’s changing too quickly, whilst others would argue it’s not fast enough. Whilst billion dollar corporations continuously fight off claims of planet-destroying behaviour, other businesses are doing things differently. The companies who are a Certified B-Corporation.
Let me ask you a quick question, Certified B-Corporations or B-Corps (as they are so often called) are you familiar with them? Do you know what it takes for a business to be a B-Corp? Well if not, I’m guessing this is why you stumbled across this article!
What are B-Corps?
B-Corps are the good guys. They’re the companies which are, to quote the official website: “businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose”
Essentially any size company can become a B-Corp but it is mostly those who are small to medium sized. In the UK prime examples include Innocent, Abel & Cole and KeepCup. Their business practices take into account the planet, not just profit by building a better environment and community.
How Do Businesses Become Certified?
Becoming a Certified B-Corp can be a rigorous process, as in-depth assessments are undertaken to ensure every part of a business’ practices have been inspected. This ensures the certification is only awarded to those who are truly noble, with Sustainability running throughout each step of their Supply Chain.
How Does a B-Corporation Help Business?
Ultimately it allows a business to measure their environmental and social impact (bringing transparency to supply chains and practices) This type of business is becoming more and more essential as the Climate Crisis worsens, as the more-more-more outlook of Capitalism is pushing our plants natural resources to the brink. .
Becoming a leader of a Certified B-Corporation creates social change, as it demonstrates that holding corporate responsibly and essentially ‘doing good’ in business is possible.
Being a B-Corp (or simply holding accountability for your environmental and social impact) needs to be the future of business. We all continuously hear the horror stories of big businesses funding all kinds of shady things. From banks funding fossil fuel financing to fast fashion giants not wanting to break away from majorly underpaying garment workers.
By being a B-Corp no so-called ‘shady business’ takes places meaning you are a planet-conscious business. This being clearly demonstrated to the consumer through the certification.
Examples of a Global B-Corporation:
Ben & Jerrys
Etsy
Patagonia
TOMS
KeepCup
Alpro
Rebel Kitchen
Hootsuite
Find the whole directory of B-Corporations here.