PLANET | B CORP
Organisations and investors increasingly seeing value of B Corp The last two years has seen record demand for B Corp certification , with 6,000 applications , a 38 % increase on 2018-2019 ; and in the UK alone – where there are now more than 700 B Corps – there was a 70 % increase in submissions in 2021 vs 2020 .
As the UK ’ s first-ever B Lab consultant , Amy Bourbeau has seen first-hand the transition of the movement to the mainstream . “ I came across B Corp in 2014 when there were just five B Corps in the UK , and when B Lab UK hadn ’ t officially launched ,” Amy tells Business Chief . “ I fell in love with it straightaway , and have committed my career to growing B Corp ever since .”
Amy ’ s commitment has included working closely with B Lab to help some of the founding B Corps certify ; co-designing and delivering the B Leaders training program ; and co-founding Seismic , a sustainability advisory that ’ s home to Europe ’ s largest and most experienced team of B Corp specialists – helping companies like innocent , Avon , Sipsmith , Gousto , and PZ Cussons achieve B Corp certification .
The last few years have been especially busy for Amy , Seismic , and the B Corp movement in general , with the pandemic throwing up a surge of applications – in part thanks to organisations having more time to explore certification , but more crucially due to a growing awareness among business leaders , investors , consumers , and employees that business must be a force for good .
“ It ’ s been a pivotal time ,” admits Amy , explaining how events of the last few years – namely the pandemic , political unrest , climate change , and race protests – have all created “ an awareness of our interdependence globally , pushed
B Corp is so valuable for two things . It gives you a framework and a structure , and the certification gives you a rubber stamp to show you are definitely doing what you say .
Joanna Gluzman Chief Sustainability Officer , PZ Cussons businesschief . com 87