Is this just another certification - what's different about it?

1. Reviews the entirety of the business

The certification process doesn’t just cover a portion of your business, it covers all of it across five areas. They are:

1. Impact Business Models
2. Governance
3. Workers
4. Community
5. Environment

2. Assessment AND legal

In addition to an assessment process, the B Corp certification requires a change to a company’s Articles of Association. This change creates a requirement to consider all stakeholders, not just the shareholders, without creating additional liability for Directors.

3. Collaborative community

The B Corp certification is part of a movement. There is a thriving community of B Corps behind the assessment process who are all passionate about the same things. It is an open, friendly and willing community that helps, encourages and inspires each other to get better at being the best for the world. No B Corp is alone.

4. Acts like an umbrella certification

There is a huge variety of certifications, accreditations, badges and awards given to companies these days, and rightly so - ranging from diversity issues to fair trade marks.

The B Corp certification process does not compete with or replace these.

On the contrary.

The value of the B Corp process is that it’s like an umbrella assessment that takes into account all the different things that a company may have pursued or been awarded. They all count towards the score the B Corp will achieve.

And, if you love awards, the B Corp movement has awards of its own. B Corps can compete for “best for the world” recognition across certain disciplines, such as the environment.

"An important upside, one we didn't expect, has emerged from the recurring assessment process that is necessary to becoming a Certified B Corporation. Although we submit to other audits of labor and environmental practices, the B Impact Assessment provides us the only comprehensive view of our standing with all our stakeholders: owners, employees, customers, local communities, suppliers' communities, and the planet"

Rose Marcario, CEO Patagonia