What is the B Corp certification?
The B Corp (or B Corporation) certification was launched in 2006 by B Lab, an American nonprofit organization which is also responsible for the assurance processes. It certifies companies that can demonstrate to operate at the highest possible standards about transparency, social responsibility and environmental sustainability, generating positive impacts and shared benefits for all stakeholders.
B Lab commitment and the certified B corps, lay their roots into the benefit corporations movement, which has been advocating for business models that are able to generate profits while building a more inclusive society and protecting natural ecosystems and resources. A new business-as-usual that integrates stakeholders needs into the corporate vision and mission, actively contributing to the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
The B Corp certification has been released today to organizations across more than 70 countries and among 150 different industries with numbers dramatically increasing over the last few years. The B Corp movement is growing its audience and it is promoting a transition towards a stakeholder economy model.
How to achieve the B Corp certification
The first step, in order to achieve the B Corporation certification, is performing the B Impact Assessment (BIA), a free web-based tool that evaluates an organization’s performances and impacts over a number of impact areas, including governance, employees, communities (including the supply chain), environment and customers.
The assessment has currently (2021) been performed by more than 50k organizations across the world and can provide insightful sectoral, geographical and dimensional benchmarks.
A legal requirement to be eligible for the certification is to include a formal commitment towards generating positive social and environmental impacts by including a statement within the organization incorporation documents. A corporate law that facilitates the institution of legal entities that include social and environmental benefits in their incorporation goals already exists in the United States, Canada, Italy, Ecuador, Colombia and Puerto Rico.
Organizations scoring a minimum of 80 points (out of 200) during the BIA can undergo a more advanced verification process that includes the evaluation of documented evidence regarding the information submitted through the BIA. B Lab is responsible for the auditing operations that are generally held over phone interviews and, more rarely, on site inspections.
Achieving B Corp Certification with NUVA
NUVA supports forward thinking companies willing to join the B Corps movement by orienting their path towards a more impactful business model. We can assist them performing the B Impact Assessment, designing a robust action plan to achieve the certification eligibility score and providing technical collaboration over the verification process.
NUVA can also facilitate the process of including the organization commitment in their corporate documents, according to the available local regulations or practices.The journey towards doing successful business with purpose is a challenging one, NUVA can provide the expertise to fulfill innovative companies ambitions.