With environmental and social standards at its core, the B Corp-certification is becoming more popular among businesses and customers alike.
B Corp-certified companies are gaining attention at the moment, with both established businesses and emerging entrepreneurs opting for a more conscious commercial approach, and consumers keen to support them.
But while the term B Corp is heard with increasing frequency, many consumers are still unsure as to what it actually stands for. A wider understanding of its definition is crucial, as shoppers seem keen to opt for more ethical purchases, but can be confused and put off by greenwashing, and unsure of which claims they can trust.
Although it may be reaching peak popularity now, the B Corp movement has been around for some time, created in 2006 by the non-profit organization B Lab. It had one lofty goal: to transform capitalism.
B Lab’s co-founders – Jay Coen Gilbert, Bart Houlahan, and Andrew Kassoy – planned to do this by changing the focus of for-profit brands.
While these companies still need to make money, that is not their only goal. Instead, equally important, is meeting certain environmental and social standards, which are assessed by B Lab, using its B Impact Assessment tool. The certification process, which is rigorous, involves checking back every three years, to ensure standards are maintained.
‘A different kind of economy’
As explaine on the B Lab website: “We began in 2006 with the idea that a different kind of economy was not only possible, but necessary – and that business could lead the way towards a new, stakeholder-driven model.
“B Lab became known for certifying B Corporations, which are companies that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.”
But, they added, they do ‘much more than that’.
“We’re building the B Corp movement to change our economic system and to do so, we must change the rules of the game. B Lab creates standards, policies, tools, and programs that shift the behavior, culture, and structural underpinnings of capitalism.
“We mobilize the B Corp community towards collective action to address society’s most critical challenges.”
The rise of the B Corps
It’s certainly an ambitious mission, but it’s one that’s been gaining significant ground.
Since the creation of the B Corp certification some 15 years ago, around 5,000 companies from around the world have joined the scheme, with around 1,000 of those gaining their certification in the last year alone. Certified brands include commercial giants like Natura (which owns The Body Shop) and Alpro, as well as smaller startups.
And these brands are celebrated every March, which marks global B Corp month, during which retailers bring B Corps to the forefront of consumers’ experience.
One of the biggest examples of a retailer promoting these companies launched last year: UK online shopping giant Ocado launched a B Corp aisle, featuring more than 1,100 products from over 35 B Corp certified suppliers. These include Ella’s Kitchen, Innocent, Method, Charlie Bingham’s, Pip & Nut, Teapigs, Proper, Ben & Jerry’s, and Cheeky Panda, among others.
Ocado branded the move a ‘really positive step for both our customers and our sustainability efforts’.
“We’re delighted to be making greener choices easier for Ocado customers by gathering all these amazing brands that have made a commitment to building a more sustainable future, in one easy-to-find place,” Jo West, head of sustainability at Ocado Retail, said in a statement.
Sustainability at their core
This year, a further endeavor is putting B Corp-certified brands in front of shoppers, with the launch of a month-long pop-up shop in central London.
In celebration of B Corp month, and highlighting the rise of the movement, a retail pop-up space showcasing ‘products that have sustainability and community at their core’ is open in London until the end of March.
The outlet, called Good News, aims to ‘drive awareness, excitement and help shine a light on the huge range of businesses and brands that are B Corp-certified’. Organizers say they will ‘broker connectivity, convene and spark important conversation and help deliver action on the current climate emergency’ through the project.
Rather than retailing products in the traditional sense, Good News will ‘tell the stories of those brands helping drive change, those that benefit people and planet, whilst also educating consumers on how they can buy better’.
Making a big difference
The project is being led by B Corps Cook, Danone, Bruichladdich Distillery, and Vita Coco in collaboration with pr company Freuds.
Ed Perry and Rosie Brown, co-CEOs of Cook, said in a statement: “More of our customers are seeing the B Corp logo as a stamp of credibility.
“They want to shop ethically, and the B means a brand is walking the walk, not just talking the talk when it comes to ethical business. We urge people to challenge brands as to why they’re not B Corps,” they said
But what can the increasing awareness around B Corps actually change? Can doing business more fairly and sustainably really have the kind of social impact its founders envisioned?
Co-founder Andrew Kassoy certainly believes so. Speaking to Pioneers Post, earlier this week, he said: “I don’t think changing business is going to change everything.
“But I do think this link between capitalism and democracy, and the way business behaves in a democratic system makes a big difference.”