Why B Corps Matter: Transforming Your Business for Positive Change

Sustainability Solved

Story

This episode focuses on what being a B Corp means, what makes the B Corp certification a unique standard, and how becoming a certified B Corp transforms businesses’ operations to do better for people and the planet.

March is B Corp month, and we are celebrating it by bringing back some of our greatest podcasts featuring B Corp certified businesses and their inspiring journeys: James Thornton from Intrepid Travel; Karli Hiscock from Bates Well; and Carolina Miranda CEO of Cultivating Capital.

Highlights

• Intrepid Travel offers sustainable travel experiences for its customers, an exemplary example of how businesses can balance purpose and profit.
• Intrepid went through a three-year journey to become a B Corp, in which they assessed the way they interacted with customers, the impact they had on the environment, and their relationships with shareholders.
• James highlights how B Corp helped Intrepid address their supplier issues and the lack of diversity within their organisation.
• “We’ve certainly found that the B Corp certification helps provide a point of distinction” - James Thornton.
• Bates Well was founded in 1970 with a set of core principles which had a clear purpose: “doing good for people”. They have always been a purpose-driven business but becoming a B Corp in 2015 hugely impacted their day-to-day operations.
• Through the B Corp certification, they have been driving staff and client engagement and improving their culture’s synergy.
• Carolina helps businesses to operate in ways that are more socially and environmentally sustainable, particularly for small businesses that want to make a difference.
• The most common issue that SMEs come across when embedding sustainability is the lack of support from management.
• Consumers are recognising what the B Corp certification means, and actively looking to do businesses with organisations who are more socially and environmentally sustainable. This is a big incentive for companies to become a B Corp and improve their social and environmental impact.