Why B Corporations are the Future of Business

With popular companies like Patagonia and Ben and Jerry’s holding the certification, the term ‘B Corporation’ has become internationally renowned. But how did the organisation evolve to become as significant as it is now?

B Corps began in 2006 when three friends – Jay Coen Gilbert, Bart Houlahan and Andrew Kassoy – decided to find a way to hold businesses accountable for their impact on their workers, the planet and their customers. They created B Lab, a nonprofit organisation. Through B Lab, they began to grant the esteemed certification to businesses that meet the necessary requirements.

In 2007, the first 82 B Corps were certified – and there are now more than 3500 B Corp businesses around the globe.

The certification process

The process to become a certified B Corporation is long and rigorous, to ensure companies are truly dedicated to transparency and accountability.

The certification process begins with an online assessment, including supporting documents and a verification call. There are then numerous legal requirements, transparency requirements, background checks and in-depth reviews of all aspects of the business.

The process is lengthy and comprehensive, ensuring that each certified business truly prioritises social and environmental performance.

Why B Corp?

With numerous sustainability certifications and popular buzzwords floating around, it can be tricky to know what actually holds significance.

The term greenwashing was coined to refer to this modern trend – businesses cleverly using trending terms like ‘sustainable’, ‘organic’ and ‘fairtrade’ when marketing their products, but with no true weight to their claims. This tactic, unfortunately, tricks consumers into supporting certain businesses under the impression that they are ethical and sustainable – when in truth, they are often not.

Because B Corporations are tested and reviewed so extensively, the certification is genuinely valuable. In addition to the legally binding commitments, B Corp companies are then re-assessed every 3 years. This confirms that their commitment to society and the environment is authentic – not just feigned to gain a certification.

CRANBOURN^®’s commitment

Right from CRANBOURN^®’s early beginnings, we knew we were completely committed to transparency, sustainability and operating ethically. It made natural sense to begin the process to become B Corp certified, as their values are completely aligned with our own. We knew that joining forces with incredible, influential B Corporations around the globe would strengthen our mission and help us make a real difference.

To find out more about our B Corp journey, visit our Mission and B Corp pages. You can also stay up to date with our journey by following us on social media.

The Better Business Act

The BBA is the product of a campaign led by not-for-profit body B Lab UK. Its mission is to change UK law (specifically amend section 172 of The Companies Act) to make sure every single company in the UK, no matter how big or small, aligns the interests of their shareholders with those of wider society and the environment.

CRANBOURN^® joined the Better Business Act coalition because we believe the world needs every business at its best – creating good jobs, helping to fix pressing problems and adding value to society.

We believe that the Better Business Act is a unique opportunity to demonstrate UK leadership on the global stage – creating a competitive advantage, driving innovation, accelerating progress to net zero, and aligning with the government’s ambition to build back better.

You can find out more about The Better Business Act here.