Step-by-Step Guide to Become a B Corporation
Get Certified as a B Corporation | Pylos59
Looking to become a certified B Coropration? Learn how Alpha96 became a certified B Corporation, and the process of meeting the social and environmental requirements in our commitment to sustainability.
Alpha96 BV is very happy and proud to be a Certified B-Corp for all our brands since October 2023 ! We achieved the B Corp certification with a whopping 101 points !
Becoming a B Corp is no easy task. The certification process was intense, but has reaffirmed to us how important it is to contribute to a more beautiful world. In this blogpost we give you an insight into the steps companies have to take.
Our Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a B Corporation
Step 1 : Online Assessment
To prove that as a company you score well on social and environmental performance, you have to go through an extensive and challenging certification process : the B Impact assessment. This is a list of 150 questions that evaluates the social, financial, and sustainability aspects of an organization. This assessment, known as the B Corp Impact Assessment (BIA), uses a scoring system ranging from 0 to 200 points. To achieve B Corp certification, a minimum score of 80 points is required.
The questionnaire first focuses on the industry, company size, and location, and adjust the questions accordingly.
Achieving B Corp certification involves a complete social and environmental responsibility survey and looks at the following five categories :
- Environment:
The B Impact assessment examines your organization's commitment to environmental responsibility. It looks at factors such as energy consumption, waste management, and carbon emissions.
- Customers:
Evaluating how your company engages and serves customers is an essential aspect of the assessment. It assesses aspects such as customer satisfaction, product quality, and responsible marketing practices.
- Governance:
Good governance serves as a foundation for ethical and responsible business practices. The assessment looks into your organization's corporate governance structure, board diversity, and decision-making procedures.
- Employees:
Recognizing the significance of employee well-being, this section examines your organization's efforts to create a positive and inclusive work environment. It covers aspects such as employee benefits, training opportunities, and diversity initiatives.
- Community:
A strong connection with the community promotes social impact and sustainability. In this category, the assessment evaluates your organization's community engagement, philanthropic initiatives, and support for local businesses.
The B Corporation Certification Process involves several stages that companies go through after submitting their B Impact Assessment (BIA).
Step 2 : Review Process
- Evaluation Queue (up to five months)
- The Evaluation Queue starts as soon as the company submits the BIA for certification.
- During this stage, the company waits for the assignment of an analyst who will evaluate its submission.
- Evaluation (up to one month)
- B Lab determines the company’s eligibility for certification and provides the necessary requirements for its certification.
- At the same time, B Lab prepares the company for the Verification stage.
Step 3 : Verification Process
- The verification process includes reviewing the company's BIA score through the examination of documentation.
- B Lab may request additional documentation essential for the Verification Phase.
- After receiving the documentation, the company waits to be assigned an analyst to verify the B Impact Assessment responses.
- During Verification, the company will have a Review Call with an analyst from B Lab. The analyst randomly chooses 6-8 questions regarding your company's operations and Impact Business Models you have chosen. You need to provide all documentation backing up your answers to the Assessment.
Once all documentation and information are complete and approved, a company finally receives the B Corp certification. However, this does not mean that companies can sit back and relax. Every three years a B Corp must undergo a new assessment to ensure ongoing compliance with the established requirements.
Step 4 : Accountability
To ensure that your business continues to prioritize responsible entrepreneurship in the future, the company must also legally document in its articles of incorporation (founding documents) that they strive for better values for people and the environment. By highlighting these principles in your corporate governance, you strengthen your commitment to a more ethical and responsible business approach.
Final step :
After approval, you as a company have to pay the annual fee and finally you get to sign the B Corp Agreement and Declaration of Interdependence.
From the moment a company achieves B-corp certification, you are required to publicly share your B impact report on the B-corp website. This way, consumers can see how you score on certain aspects and whether your score has stayed the same or gone up.
As a company, you need to constantly improve. If you are a B-corp, you may be asked for new evidence on a regular basis. This way, B-corp checks that you, as a company, are still meeting what you entered during the certification process.
The results of these updates are also published in the B impact report. So it is a transparent process, which you as a consumer can gain insight into by viewing the report on B-corp's website.
Conclusion:
Finally, we hope that this blog post has inspired you to think about the importance of making conscious choices when it comes to buying products from companies with high environmental and social standards. The B Corp Certification is becoming more and more important for companies to proof their commitment to sustainability and ethical practice. For customers, knowing that a company has achieved B Corp certification gives them assurance that environmental impacts and social welfare are fully considered when buying from that company. We are all responsible for keeping our planet safe for future generations, so let’s start today: choose sustainable brands certified by B Corp and buy guilt-free !
Discover more information about our Commitment to B Corp Certification and sustainability goals. Read the B Corp page on our website to find out how Pylos59 is making a positive impact on the world!
