What exactly is a B Corp?

B Corp is a movement of businesses committed to accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business as being a force for good in the world.

It believes we live and work in a highly interdependent relationship with society and the environment. As such, we must seek to work with and nourish that interdependence.

It believes the status quo business philosophy of shareholder primacy is corrosive to that interdependence and, ironically, likely to create less of the very thing it pursues - shareholder value - than a more interdependent approach would.

It believes that a more interdependent approach, which seeks to nourish and prosper all stakeholders, creates more value and life for all and over the full breadth of time frames: short and long.

B Corps - or Certified B Corporations to give them their full nomenclature - are businesses that pursue this interdependence by meeting the highest of standards across three core characteristics:

1. Verified social and environmental performance,
2. Legal accountability to all stakeholders, not just the shareholders,
3. Public transparency

A key difference between B Corp and other "sustainability" minded certifications is it isn't focused on the product or service but the whole business, operationally and strategically.

In 2021, there were over 4,000 B Corps across 153 countries and 177 industries. They come in all shapes and sizes - from start ups to multinationals - including many of the world's most revered brands such as Patagonia, The Body Shop, Ben & Jerry's, Toms Shoes and Allbirds.

The UK is the fastest growing cohort of B Corps, with over 500 companies covering over 22,000 employees and £5Bn of revenue, again of all sizes, including the likes of Jo Jo Maman Bebe, Cook Food, Rebel Kitchen, Jamie Oliver Group, Abel & Cole, Riverford, Ella's Kitchen and Pukka Herbs.