A Force for Good: Certified B Corps
Concerned about inequality and the environment? Meet Certified B Corps—for-profit companies that make it their mission to be a force for good.
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“Being a B Corp means you’re in it not just for the shareholders, but for all the stakeholders: your employees, your customers, the community you work in, and, quite honestly, the environment is a stakeholder as well,” says Pierce Sioussat, president and CEO of Bioforce USA. A big supporter of the B Corp movement, the company markets European brands such as natural hair color by Herbatint, a Certified B Corp.
What It Takes to Earn B Corp Certification
More than 2,300 companies worldwide have earned the B Corp certification, which requires meeting a variety of criteria, such as contributing to the local community, protecting and enhancing the environment, and compensating employees fairly. For example, a “living wage” might be the lowest compensation in a B Corp, rather than minimum wage. Based on government figures, a living wage is just enough to provide basic life essentials in a given area of the U.S., which may realistically be more than double the current minimum wage.
Did you know?
A “living wage” can provide basic essentials, and may be more than double the current minimum wage.
How B Corp Certification Works
B Corp certifications are issued by B Lab, a nonprofit organization that sets standards and audits company policies and procedures. Certified companies can put the B Corp logo on their products. Seeing that logo, says Sioussat, “is sort of a reassuring note, that this company represents some of the values that I embrace.”
To find B Corps or check if a company is certified, look under “B Corp Community” at bcorporation.org.