Whether you know about B Corp certifications or have seen the B label, we know companies are committed to sustainable business models. Nowadays, it can be hard to find genuine companies that mean what they say regarding sustainability. This certification creates a way for actual sustainability-driven companies to stand out. Our B Corporation blog will cover the certification, your qualifications, benefits and disadvantages, and more.
What is B Corp
B Corp Meaning
B Corp is a private certification for mission and profit-driven companies of their social and environmental performances. This certification distinguishes a business from meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency. When a company is B Corporation certified, they pledge to meet social and environmental responsibilities.
There are around 4,000+ certified B Corporations, including Ben & Jerry’s, and Patagonia, in 70 countries and over 150 industries.
B Corp Requirements
To be certified, you must meet a few requirements. The first is the B Impact Rating System, where the company must meet an 80+ score and pass a disclosure questionnaire review. Next is the legal framework in which the company will adopt a legal framework to consider all stakeholders. Your company will need to confirm a company scores transparent on the B Corp directory. Every two years, you will need to be recertified.
Benefits-
- The rise of consumers interested in truly sustainable companies continues to grow, and meeting the certification guidelines help showcase your brand as such. By holding the B Corp title, you are showing consumers your company cares about social and environmental responsibilities and creating a difference.
- Money. A B Corp certification opens your access to B Corp community data, providing cost-effective, sustainable information. The certification process teaches companies where they may be participating in needless and wasteful spending.
- You are attracting the right kind of people. Identifying your ideal consumer is essential if you are in marketing or have a marketing department. Not only that, but drawing the correct type of employees, media, investors, businesses, and communities. Showing you are a B Corporation tells these people you walk your talk regarding sustainability efforts.
Disadvantages-
- Money. A company that is B Corporation certified must pay annual fees depending on its annual sales. This may make becoming certified a future accomplishment; however, the certification can also open doors for companies. Also, when you are a B Corporation, you opt out of federal taxes, meaning you will file your taxes as an S corp or C corp.
Pela Case
Makers of the world’s first compostable phone case.
Pela Case is on a mission to create a waste-free future. After spending years experimenting with new materials and trying to find an alternative to plastic that could be used in everyday products, they created their products using natural and biodegradable materials. Pela makes waste-free alternatives to everyday essentials, like phone cases, apple watch straps, and other accessories, using plant-based materials that naturally biodegrade at the end of their life cycle so they don’t end up in landfills. Learn more about their sustainability strategy here!
What does it mean for Pela to be B Corp certified?
We don’t think much about certifications – it’s just how we do business. We’re founded on the idea that businesses can and should do better for the planet and all the life it sustains.
Why did your company decide to become B Corp Certified?
The world is full of pretenders; unfortunately, greenwashing runs rampant in consumer goods. We want customers to know we’re committed to creating products that solve a problem in the existing industry: phone cases or composters.
We love your mission of wanting to make sustainable products the new normal. What would you say to a company considering a sustainable business model transition?
What are you waiting for? The future of business is focused on sustainability – now, more than ever, consumers are looking for products that help them make better decisions for their families and the planet.
Positive Luxury
Since 2011 Positive Luxury has been accelerating organizations’ adaptation to the new climate economy.
Positive Luxury accelerates the sustainability efforts of the luxury industry and keeps our clients ahead of cultural and economic shifts. We enable our collaborative community of brands, suppliers, and retailers to measure, manage and report their net positive impact across ESG indicators. By providing actionable tools and insights for improvement, our clients understand how to leverage sustainability as a critical driver of value.
What is the Butterfly Mark certification, and how does it differ from the B Corp certification?
The Butterfly Mark certification, powered by Positive Luxury, is exclusively for the luxury industry – a renowned trust mark only awarded to luxury organizations that meet the highest standards of verified sustainability performance through our proprietary ESG+ (Environmental, Social, Governance, and Innovation) assessment framework.
The certification is part 2 of our unique four-part methodology designed to reduce risk and future-proof luxury brands, retailers, and suppliers. Our ESG+ assessment is designed for the less commoditized luxury industry’s specific and unique material risks. It is underpinned by 29 key drivers and aligned to GRI, SASBI, UN SDG principles, and international standards established by BSI. Uniquely we also focus on innovation, meaning our program is forward-facing rather than the traditional approach assessing past performance, driving verifiable ESG performance improvement as part of the process to earn the Butterfly Mark as well as post-certification.
Why is transparency in sustainability important?
Put simply, legislative requirements aside; transparency builds trust between businesses and key stakeholders. Sustainability and transparency must become synonymous as they demonstrate good governance practices and directly answer the growing consumer demand to understand the supply chain. Stakeholders hold businesses accountable, so it is vital on several levels – consumers being more likely to purchase or advocate for brands aligning with their values, employees choosing their place of work and loyalty, and the ESG scrutiny of institutional investors.
What does it mean to have the Butterfly Mark in sustainability?
To be awarded the Butterfly Mark means that a luxury brand, retailer, or supplier has undergone rigorous assessment involving extensive business transformation and the embedding of measurable ESG practices within their operations and across their value chain to meet industry-leading standards of verified ESG+ performance. This, in turn, means a consumer can buy with confidence and trust the business they are buying from is acting positively for society and nature. And now, through the Connected Butterfly Mark accessible via an online widget or QR code, businesses can quickly, efficiently, and transparently communicate their sustainability performance to all stakeholders.
Since the Butterfly Mark and B Corp certifications mean different but similar things, who do you believe would benefit from having both?
B Corps certification is fantastic, and it is a certification our assessment takes into account along with 180 others, including the Soil Association or Leather Working Group. For luxury brands, however, undergoing the Butterfly Mark certification means you get dedicated support from our Client Services, Sustainability, and Partner Marketing teams – who coach companies every step to help drive sustainability transformation, stay ahead of the curve, and communicate with confidence.
Businesses that earn certification have undergone a process that, on average, improves their sustainability performance by 26 points or 87% during the process spanning only 12 months – each is a markedly more sustainable business than when it started the program. And we work with them to continue to build trust with stakeholders and future-proof their business. Positive Luxury prepares luxury businesses for the future with clearly defined, actionable, and measurable objectives rather than an assessment based on past performance or intent. Our certified brands can also access a like-minded community of luxury brands and suppliers, leading to inspiring collaborations necessary to address the challenges we face.
Where does CADA come in?
CADA Consult’s mission is to facilitate the world’s transition towards an existence conscious of sustainable responsibility and holistic wellness through boutique business services, B2B courses, educational newsletters, blogs, and activations. To help our clients become more sustainable, we have created our own scoring sheet called a CADA score.
A CADA score is our score based on your company’s sustainability practices, marketing strategy, audience, and finances. We have our clients take this quiz to understand better where they are in their company and where we can help them further succeed. Learning your score will give you further insight into where your company may need assistance before you can be a B Corporation.
Take the quiz here and find your company’s CADA score!
B Corp Certified Affiliates We Love to Love
Your Super, Grove Collaborative, Organic Basics, KOTN, Prima, and Pela
use code CADACONSULT for 15% off
Use code CADACULTURE for 15% off your order!
Thank you, Matt Bertulli, CEO of Pela Case, and Positive Luxury, for providing their feature!
Interested in Positive Luxury and the Butterfly mark? Contact us at info@cadaconsult.com, and we will point you in the right direction!
Is the B Corp certification the next step for your company? Have you already applied? Let us know how we can help.
