B the change!

Global movement

Business is one of the most powerful forces on our planet. As Ryan Honeyman describes it so strikingly in his B Corp Handbook, at its best, business encourages collaboration, innovation, and mutual well-being, and helps people to live more vibrant and fulfilling lives. At its worst, business – and the tendency to focus on maximizing short-term profits – can lead to significant social and environmental damage.

General awareness of the importance of protecting our planet is reaching an all-time high, and consumers – especially millennials – increasingly demand that companies are socially and environmentally aware. Sustainability is not just about reducing your environmental footprint. According to research by Goldman Sachs, the next level of employees and consumers have specific needs that are dramatically different from those of previous generations. High among these is a desire to align personal and corporate values. In short, there is a universal call to build a global movement of people using business as a force for good.

B Lab is the non-profit organization that certifies B Corporations: companies that meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. B Corps aspire to use the power of markets to solve social and environmental problems. Today, there is a growing community of more than 1,600 Certified B Corps from 42 countries and over 120 industries working together toward one unifying goal: to redefine success in business.

Ten benefits of becoming a B Corp

“The B Corp movement is one of the most important of our lifetime, built on the simple fact that business impacts and serves more than just shareholders – it has an equal responsibility to the community and to the planet,” says Rose Marcario, CEO of clothing company Patagonia.

Below are ten advantages of getting B Corp certification, as described in The B Corp Handbook (2014):