What It Means to Be A B Corp

Corps Change the World

The Human Beauty Movement (The HBM), along with its skincare brand Humanist Beauty, exists to not only champion radically inclusive beauty and holistic wellness, but to also raise the bar for the people and for environmental sustainability in the beauty industry and beyond. 

You and the planet are vitally important to The HBM and Humanist Beauty, which is why we, along with over 3,000 other organizations and businesses, have the B Corporation Certification. A Certified B Corporation, commonly known as a B Corp, is a new type of company. 

“You’ve probably seen the B Corp logo on The HBM and Humanist Beauty websites and products, as well as a lot of other great products you come across daily,” Jennifer Norman, the founder of The HBM and Humanist Beauty, says. “These products and companies are very important because they’ve made a commitment to put people and the planet over profits.”

To prove these claims, B Corps go through a rigorous certification process, completing a comprehensive assessment of their company’s impacts on all stakeholders, and having their assessment verified by B Lab, the nonprofit behind the B Corp Certification.

Let’s take a closer look, with the help of Jennifer, at what it means to be a B Corp and how to get that coveted B Corp Certification.

B Corps Business as a Force for Good

B Corps Believe In You And The Environment

Today, there are over 4000 Certified B Corporations in more than 150 industries and 70 countries. However, considering that B Labs only launched the B Corp Certification in 2007, it’s still a relatively new concept. 

B Lab defines B Corps as:

“Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy.”

In short, B Corps are companies that undergo a rigorous certification process to improve their social and environmental performance. They’re committed to using business as a force for good – and they’re willing to have their practices be independently vetted by a third party and to make their results transparent. You can see the score of any B Corp on the B Corp directory.

“B Corps know that governments and nonprofits are not going to be able to solve the world’s biggest problems alone,” explains Jennifer. “It’s going to take the momentum and energy of all of us. And by all of us, it really means that the private sector is going to help to drive the real change that we need to see in the world.”

Jennifer thoroughly understands that B Corps are the leaders in the battle of environmental justice and fairness to the people.

“A lot of the economic growth that has happened in the world up until this point has been done at the risk and at the detriment to the environment,” she states. “And unfortunately, there has been so much justice and inequity that has happened all over the world.”

B Corps believe in equity and fairness, which is why they are working to have business be a part of the solution, rather than part of the problem. 

B Corp Eco System

Getting B Corp Certified Is No Easy Feat

“Most companies in the world don’t meet the standards or the criteria that it takes to be a B Corp,” Jennifer adds. “You can be sure that the ones that are leading the pack are the ones that are truly committed to making this world a better place for our future generations.”

As Jennifer mentions, the criteria and standards needed from a company in order to be considered a B Corp are extensive and multifaceted. 

B Corp Mountain Graphic

The B Corp Certification process requires a great deal of time and effort on the part of the business to qualify. To be considered, companies must:

Demonstrate a high social and environmental performance by achieving a B Impact Assessment (BIA) score of 80 or above and passing our risk review. Multinational corporations must also meet baseline requirement standards.

Make a legal commitment by changing their corporate governance structure to be accountable to all stakeholders, not just shareholders, and achieve benefit corporation status if available in their jurisdiction.

Exhibit transparency by allowing information about their performance measured against B Lab’s standards to be publicly available on their B Corp profile on B Lab’s website.

The B Corp Certification process doesn’t end there, though. Maintaining B Corp Certification means that companies will prepare for recertification every three years and use the B Impact Assessment and the certification process as a tool for continuous improvement.

B Corps Pledge to Care About More Than Profit

B Corps are helping to forge a global economy that uses business as a force for good. B Corps never put profit ahead of consumer safety or environmental sustainability. They exist to put people and the planet over profit for long-term sustainability.

B Corp People Planet Profits

“When we talk about environmental consciousness, about putting people first, it’s not just lip service or greenwashing,” Jennifer explains. “Everything that a B Corp does matters. From the way policies and operations are set up, to the way waste and supply chain vetting is handled ensures the goods and services provided to the consumer are safe.”

Certified B Corps are mission-driven, purpose-driven, and committed to a better future as demonstrated by the pledge: 

That we must be the change we seek in the world.

That all business ought to be conducted as if people and place mattered.

That, through our products, practices, and profits, our businesses should aspire to do no harm and benefit all.

To do so requires that we act with the understanding that we are each dependent upon another and thus responsible for each other and future generations.

B Corp Declaration of Inerdependence

The HBM Is Proud to Be a Certified B Corporation

The HBM is a Certified B Corp

B Lab is building and always expanding the B Corp movement to change our economic system and the rules of the game. They’re putting the “4 P’s” into place: people, planet, purpose, and lastly, profit. 

“B Corps are in it for the long haul. We don’t believe in putting short term profits and short term gains ahead of your safety and the safety of the environment,” Jennifer says.

She further touches on the importance of B Corps: “ When you help good businesses to succeed by voting with your dollars, by ensuring that B Corporations are going to be successful, you’re helping to build a more sustainable future for all of us.”

The HBM is a Certified B Corporation, which means that the entirety of its operations are centered around goodness, integrity, and genuine transparency.

If you’re interested in supporting more B Corporations, you can do so by visiting B Lab’s Global Site. The “Find A B Corp” page will allow you to explore a myriad of wonderful companies that deserve your business. 

B Corps Vote for Good

B Corp Vote with your Dollars

B Corp Buy products with the B Corp Logo

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