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As we join more than 8,000 global businesses celebrating B-Corp Month, Acre remains proud to be part of a strong – and ever expanding – community that uses business as a force for good.
But transformation takes time and effort. In support of this, the B-Corp movement strives to change the economic system to ensure everyone benefits, rather than a select few.
The annual global campaign unites companies across 96 countries and 162 industries to demonstrate how the B-Corp community is driving business forward. We are talking 750,000 workers.
The theme for this year’s B-Corp Month is ‘This Way Forward’ and there is a community-led hive of activity around the world. This includes pop-up shops, innovative collaborations, limited-edition products and dozens of varied events planned across 30 European countries.
But despite being armed with good intentions, not every business can be B-Corp certified at the drop of a hat - the purpose-led companies, who live and breathe their values, undergo stringent processes to be verified by B Lab, the nonprofit network leading the B-Corp movement, and must be recertified through assessments every three years.
The process enabled us to join highly acclaimed companies including Patagonia, Graze, the Jamie Oliver Group, Sipsmith Gin, The Body Shop, Ella’s Kitchen and Innocent Drinks on the mission to help carve a brighter, more resilient future.
Now we must continue to improve the impact we make, both environmentally and socially, to combat the global issues which are constantly shifting. As we’ve said in a previous blog, there is no time to rest on our laurels, we are working to go beyond our threshold, something we aimed for long before we became a B-Corp certified business.
What impact do B-Corps make?
In a 2022 UK B-Corp community survey, 93 per cent of respondents agreed the movement is effecting real systemic change while 98 per cent believe being a B-Corp is likely to contribute to the future success of their responsible and sustainable business.
Being part of such an impactful movement not only keeps companies on their toes, it is influential to other organisations seeking to do good - 91 per cent of respondents said they would recommend that other companies certify as a B-Corp.
Research shows the development and performance of UK B-Corps compared to their counterparts – there is an average turnover growth of 26 per cent compared to the national average of five per cent, between 2017 and 2020, while 44 per cent of B-Corps seeking investment found certification helped attract investors.
The UK B-Corp community is one of the largest in the world with more than 1,900 certified companies, spanning 58 industries, all making a difference through every function of their business.
Three B-Corp facts you need to know
B-Corps are twice as likely to use 100% renewable energy than a non-B Corp
B-Corps are twice as likely to be led by majority-female management teams, and there are more than 1,800 women-owned B-Corps
119,000 workers can own shares in their B-Corp company, with 26% of B-Corps giving employees the opportunity to own a piece of their company
Juliette Caulkins, Executive Director of B Lab Europe, said: “During B-Corp Month, we want to shine a spotlight on B-Corps – innovative companies that are leading the way forward across the world, having a positive impact on people, communities, and the planet.
“It is becoming increasingly apparent, and we are hearing from our community, that consumers, investors, and workers no longer settle for business as usual.
“In our recent study surveying 11,000 respondents in Europe, a striking 90 per cent agree that directors of companies should be accountable for their social and environmental performance, and 87 per cent believe that it should be mandatory for businesses to consider the interest of all stakeholders, including people and the planet.”
