B Lab is changing the standards which firms will need to meet in order to attain, or, for the close to 8,600 companies that are certified to date, to maintain the B Corp certification status. A change to these environmental and social performance standards makes sense: B Lab was founded in 2006 and while the standards have been revised six times since its founding, the core aspects of the framework have remained consistent. In the meantime, the world we live in has changed and so have the issues we're facing. In order to properly address and work towards solutions to the most pressing social and environmental issues of our time, the B Corp standards need to transform accordingly.
Originally kicked-off in 2020 and after concluding the final consultation on the draft standards in March 2024, B Lab just released its latest timeline of the upcoming new standards. The new B Impact Assessment, the open, online certification tool, will launch toward the end of 2025 hence the first companies to certify under the new standard won't take place until the first half of 2026.
B Lab's latest timeline for the development and launch of the new standards. Source: B Lab, 2024
In addition to the updated timeline, B Lab shares that:
The new certification process will be in line with incoming directives such as the Green Claims Directive and the Empowering Consumers Directive
It will prioritize interoperability with relevant regulations and other certification schemes
It commits to sharing frequent updates on the above timeline and ensure a phased transition to the new standards
Beyond certification, it is exploring additional products and offerings to support ALL companies to adopt a better way of doing business
Post photo credit: B Lab, 2024
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