More and more companies are interested in becoming part of the BCorp community and even obtaining this certification. The BCorp certification is a sign of a strong commitment to social and environmental impact. This contributes to a strong brand image with all stakeholders: suppliers, customers, employees or potential employees, investors… At Monnou, we are accredited as a B Impact Partner to guide brands through this process.

In this post, we explain the BCorp movement, what the B Impact Assessment and the certification process involve, the controversies surrounding it, and the value of being part of this community.

Safeguarding a good corporate culture

What is the origin of the BCorp movement? It started with the partners of a company that practiced social and sustainability practices. These practices were part of the company’s culture. However, there came a point when the company had to be acquired by an investment fund, and the new owners did not see value in these sustainable business practices.

The former partners of this company realized how quickly these sustainable practices could fade when the company changes ownership if they are not well justified. That’s why they created the BLab Foundation, with the goal of providing a method to safeguard these positive impact practices in businesses. To do this, it was necessary to establish standards and an evaluation methodology that would allow for justifying the actual impact of each action.

Obtaining the BCorp certification means that good business practices will not depend on the will of those in charge of decision-making within the company. Therefore, to become BCorp, it is necessary to:

  • Legally lock in the social and environmental impact purpose, incorporating it into the company’s statutes.
  • Establish protocols to ensure that this purpose and these best practices continue to be followed.

B Impact Assessment and BCorp certification

The main tool that the BCorp community provides to companies is the B Impact Assessment platform. It is a tool that any company can use, helping them make strategic decisions and improve their impact, regardless of whether they aim for certification.

The BCorp sustainability impact assessment currently covers five areas:

  • Governance
  • Workers
  • Community
  • Environment
  • Customers

Across these five areas, two things are considered: the company’s operations and its Impact Business Models. We’ll discuss Impact Business Models in more detail later: what they are, how they work, and how to design these sustainable business models. Typically, a company will have between one and three Impact Business Models. The rest of its evaluation score will come from its operations—i.e., how the company acts within each of the areas.

The B Impact Assessment is based on the standards set by the BCorp community. These standards are currently being updated, and the next version will likely be implemented in 2025. They will be more demanding and will include aspects that are outside the scope of current standards. For instance, environmental impacts from the digital world may be included. In previous posts, we have discussed the impact of digital design and the digital actions of brands.

In the BCorp certification process, the first step is, of course, to rigorously complete the B Impact Assessment. As mentioned, this assessment is a very useful tool for companies, even if they don’t intend to obtain certification. Once the assessment is complete and we score over 80 points, we need to submit it to BLab to start the certification process. Certification requires paying fees, which depend on the country and the company’s revenue. The fees for Spain can be viewed on the BLab Spain website.

Committed brands to generate positive impact

Companies that choose to be part of the BCorp community are embarking on a transformation journey. They are committing to using the power of business as a tool to generate a positive impact.

The BCorp movement is not without controversy. There are questions about the value of the certification compared to other seals and certifications. Some critics also point out that certain companies considered polluting or harmful have been able to get certified. Like everything, the BCorp movement is not perfect, but it is a very useful path towards achieving Triple Positive Impact, for several reasons:

Transparency that allows us to progress collectively.

The BCorp movement is transparent in its practices and requires the companies that are part of it to be transparent as well. Companies must publish their B Impact Assessment results to be certified. This helps everyone else, on one hand, by providing a diagnosis of these companies’ impact and ensuring they are committed. On the other hand, it helps us understand the state of our sector and provides ideas on how we can move forward in our own companies.

The B Impact Assessment is very rigorous.

As mentioned, it is a very useful strategic tool. Additionally, it is a thorough process that ensures that if a company has been certified, it is because it is making significant sustainability commitments.

Belonging to a global community.

BCorp is a global, international certification. It is recognized in many countries and covers a wide range of social, environmental, and governance aspects. It also considers that brands may have other seals, like FSC or Fairtrade. All of this is under a single seal.

Still, BCorp goes beyond being just a certification, as seen below.

Strengthening the internal culture of the organization.

Being part of the B movement and using the B Impact Assessment strengthens the organizational culture and incorporates sustainability into the DNA. More and more people want to work for companies that are committed, like BCorps. In our case, at Monnou, we offer a series of programs that facilitate the transformation and development of that internal culture.

Community and co-creation.

BCorp is a community of people and organizations that cooperate and form alliances to co-design new proposals and have a better impact. Being B means being part of a larger community where clients, suppliers, and other partnerships align with our vision. In this community, everyone helps one another.

Being BCorp is a long-term journey; it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Walking this path with support makes it easier and helps you navigate it. That’s why part of the Monnou team is accredited as a B Impact Partner to help you with our methodology.

Want to know more about how we can help on the BCorp movement journey?