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For decades the world has been waking up to the reality that our economic system, based on profit at all cost, has been exacerbating threats to the health and wellbeing of society and the planet.
Since being established in the U.S. in 2006, over 3,600 B Corps have gained a foothold in 75 countries around the world – a global community supported by a growing network of B Lab Global and Country Partners in six continents, including our Sistema B partners in Latin America.
Led by our early adopters in 2015, the growth in the number of B Corps in the UK is proof that there is increasing demand for a better model of business. Milestone moments over the last five years have also been catalysts for growth.
Then in 2020, we saw a dramatic acceleration in the number of aspiring B Corps, as companies embraced long-term thinking and stakeholder governance in order to future-proof their business and navigate their way through crises.
Despite the turmoil of 2020, our fifth anniversary marks the year we reached over 400 B Corps in the UK and became one of the fastest growing B Corp communities in the world. Keep reading to find out how B Corps are championing the movement.
The fast-growing number of B Corps in the UK is thanks to our community championing the movement and sharing our message with their many stakeholders.
We’re proud and grateful that this early momentum continues as the B Corp community collaborates, shares best practice and celebrates business as a force for good.
Over 6,000 people have registered for the 60 events we have hosted in the last five years. These include B Socials; a Learn to B knowledge-sharing series; community conversations about anti-racism; and October 2019’s B Inspired, which attracted 600 people to explore the future of business in society.
Behind the scenes, B Corp working groups are addressing specific areas of impact; while B Locals are emerging throughout the UK, creating localised B Corp hubs.
Beyond the B Corp community, cohorts of experienced sustainability professionals are training as B Leaders. This involves completing an intensive programme to facilitate businesses through the B Corp certification process.
And the COVID-19 lockdown didn’t deter our collaborative spirit: engagement with the B Hive (the B Corp community’s dedicated social media platform) has multiplied, with employees sharing resources and offering support.
It is due to this kind of collaboration – between B Corp ambassadors, leaders, employees, working groups, B Locals and B Leaders – that we enjoy such a high level of engagement and dedication.
This working group was established for B Corps with more than 50 employees, that have an HR or People and Culture representative and a focus on best practice sharing. It is a safe forum for highlighting company policies and seeking advice. Weekly sessions were held throughout the spring and summer of 2020 to provide support throughout the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.
Over 800 B Corps around the world have commited to net zero by 2030, 20 years ahead of the 2050 targets set in the Paris Agreement. This group focuses on encouraging more B Corps to set bold and ambitious targets; its first project is the creation of a starter guide for SMEs about setting a net zero target.
This was the first working group to be created, and focuses on helping consumer-facing B Corps to plan and initiate B Corp-related marketing initiatives. The group plans and activates marketing activities, primarily for B Corp Month in March, while collaborating to share and amplify important messages and coordinate responses to campaigns such as ‘Stop Hate for Profit’.
With agriculture one of the biggest emitters of CO2, this group shares knowledge and ideas about new farming principles and practices to rehabilitate and enhance the farm ecosystem and reduce carbon emissions. The group will explore how UK B Corps can establish and use agricultural supply chains with net-positive social and environmental impact.
Members of this group carry out research and provide unbiased and transparent information about innovative plastics and packaging solutions. They challenge preconceived ideas and conduct independent assessments of the feasibility of new options.
Dedicated to encouraging B Corps to apply circular economy principles, the group promotes the adoption of sustainable practices and decoupling growth from the consumption of finite resources. By sharing new product, material and process information, this working group stimulates collaboration among those looking to adopt circular economy principles.
This collaboration of FMCG B Corps channels expertise and collective energy to strengthen awareness of the movement with retailers. The group coordinates discussions with buyers to create opportunities for B Corps to be promoted in retailers. A major success has been the creation of the Waitrose B Corp shop in March 2019 and more recently the Boots B Corp shop.
The UK is now officially home to the second largest B Corp community in the world, with over 400 B Corps (and counting) representing 48 industries and over 22,000 employees.
We have welcomed big international brands and household names to the community, meaning the B Corp name has hit the high street and made national headlines.
Who will certify next? Demand for B Corp certification keeps growing...
B Corps around the world set the gold standard for good business and are inspiring a race to the top. They are innovating to improve their impact, and modelling a new legal structure to embed mission and purpose at the heart of business.
The UK B Corp community is now one of the fastest growing B Corp communities in the world. Why? We asked our B Corp community about their motivations for certifying and the most common were:
The B Impact Assessment (BIA) is the most credible tool a company can use to measure its impact on its workers, community, environment and customers. The assessment is free and confidential, you can add multiple team members, set goals and compare your answers to thousands of other businesses. There are currently over 100,000 businesses using the BIA to measure and manage their social and environmental impact.
Click here to visit the B Impact Assessment
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