B Corp, much more than a label

Every March, thousands of businesses around the world proudly display their B Corp logo. But behind that circled “B”, few people really know what that means.

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B Corp remains a demanding impact certification, but its operation is changing profoundly with the new standards: we are no longer talking about adding up points in a questionnaire, but about proving minimum practices in 8 major mandatory subjects (governance, fair work, human rights, human rights, human rights, human rights, human rights, climate, climate, environment, environment, justice & inclusion, public affairs & collective action...).

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The initial idea

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B Corp is a certification created in 2006 by B Lab, an NGO that wants to measure the overall performance of businesses, not just their financial results.

The initial ambition remains the same: to assess the real impact of a company on its employees, customers, communities, suppliers and the environment, and to place this impact at the heart of its strategy.

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Historically, this assessment involved the BIA (B Impact Assessment), a 200-point questionnaire covering 5 areas (Governance, Employees, Community, Environment, Customers), with a minimum score of 80 to be certified. Most companies that completed the BIA “cold” reached 40—60 points instead, which already gave an idea of the level of requirement.

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What are the new standards changing

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Starting with version 2.1, B Lab abandons the logic of a global “à la carte” score to move to a common base of requirements, organized into impact themes, with minimum expectations for all companies (adapted to size, sector and footprint).

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Each theme (Fair Work, Climate Action, Human Rights, Human Rights, Environmental Management & Circularity, Public Affairs & Collective Action, JEDI...) contains precise, dated and documented requirements that the company must comply with in order to be or remain certified.

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In concrete terms, this means that a company can no longer compensate for a lack of climate change with very good HR practices. It must demonstrate a credible minimum level in each of the key issues.

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What does that mean in practice

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As before, certification is based on real, verifiable evidence, not statements of intent. The difference is that the evidence is now structured around normative requirements: to have a policy, a process, indicators, action plans, results, according to criteria defined thematically by theme.

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Some typical examples of the requirements of the new standards, depending on the size of the company:

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• Governance & purpose : reason for being publicly accessible, approved by the highest management body; formal mechanisms for taking into account stakeholders (mission committee, consultation, complaint procedure).
• Fair work : clear and signed employment contracts for all, explicit remuneration rules, transparency on benefits, regular survey on culture and well-being.
• JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) : collection of data on inclusion, choice of JEDI actions in a “menu” (inclusive recruitment, revision of HR policies, more favorable holidays, support for vulnerable groups...).
• Human rights : public commitment to respect human rights (for example via the Global Compact), identification of major risks, remediation process.
• Climate action : public climate action plan aligned with a 1.5°C target, with SMART goals, resources, governance and regular review.
• Environmental management & circularity : monitoring waste, energy and water, identifying impacts on nature and biodiversity.
• Public Affairs & Collective Action : responsible lobbying policy accessible to the public; participation in at least one collective action (mentoring, research, sectoral coalition, advocacy).

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Which makes it even harder to greenwasher

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The logic of fighting greenwashing is strengthened at three levels:

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• Contents : standards go further on sensitive subjects such as climate (1.5°C plan, transparency on emissions), human rights in the value chain, or responsible lobbying, in line with European regulatory expectations (Directive Green Claims, CSRD, duty of vigilance...).
• Proofs : for each sub-requirement, B Lab details the accepted evidence (written policies, minutes, indicator monitoring, audit reports, partnership agreements), which severely limits the possibility of relying on marketing elements.
• Control : the new standards provide for increased use of third-party audits and a higher level of supervision by corporate governance.

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The logic of recertification remains present: the company must demonstrate its progress and upgrade each cycle, with requirements that increase gradually.

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A movement, not just a stamp

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B Corp remains a community of businesses that recognize that they need to be accountable for their impacts, not just for their promises.

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The new standards reinforce this dimension by asking companies to go beyond their strict boundaries: working with suppliers, participating in collective actions, advocating for public policies that promote social and environmental justice.

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The theme “This is My Place” for B Corp Month 2026 particularly resonates with this new architecture: each company is invited to identify the specific places where it has a real effect on the world and to make concrete, measurable and documented commitments there.

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Rather than a logo on a site, B Corp, a new standard version, becomes a global framework for structuring its contribution to a more just, inclusive and regenerative economy.