Announcing the 2022 Best for the World B Corps
How a Commitment to Stakeholders Builds Positive Social and Environmental Impact
An interdependent business approach sets apart companies in the Certified B Corporation community: By considering stakeholders as part of every business decision, B Corps build strong connections and create value with and for the people they affect and act as responsible stewards of the planet. In the 16 years since the B Corp movement began, thousands of companies — from one-person ventures to multinational corporations — have committed to pursuing continual improvement toward a more inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.
The impact of B Corps is verifiable. To gauge their social and environmental impact and measure their progress, these for-profit companies complete the B Impact Assessment every three years. This comprehensive series of questions across five categories — governance, workers, community, the environment, and customers — helps B Corps identify areas for improvement and learn best practices while providing a third-party evaluation of their positive impact.
The B Impact Assessment also sets apart the Best for the World B Corps: those B Corps that rank in the top 5% of all companies in their size group. The list of 2022 Best for the World B Corps features more than 1,000 B Corps around the world, including more than 400 in the United States and Canada.
“The Best for the World 2022 B Corps serve as examples of the change required to establish a stakeholder-driven economy, where businesses create value for workers, customers, communities, the environment as well as shareholders,” said B Lab U.S. & Canada CEO Jorge Fontanez. “At B Corps, business leaders are empowered to make responsible and sustainable decisions that take into consideration the impact that they are having on all of these stakeholders when considering how they create value. At B Lab U.S. & Canada, our goal is to help shift behavior and culture as well as systems.”
The 2022 Best for the World B Corps earned recognition based on their most recent verified B Impact Assessment, and how they demonstrate their stakeholder commitment by partnering and benefiting their workers, communities, customers, and the environment. As the climate crisis, social equity issues, and other systemic challenges affect people around the world, these B Corps are acting every day to shape a more inclusive economy that works for all people.
Best for the World Practices at U.S. and Canadian B Corps
What does it actually look like in everyday business practices to be Best for the World? The U.S. and Canadian B Corps highlighted provide just a few examples of how companies are innovating for lasting, positive change — and setting an example that other companies can follow. (B The Change will share more examples of innovative business practices and policies in the coming weeks!)
Community
“During the pandemic, we donated thousands of meals to local hospitals and care centers, helping to nourish our front-line workers. And now that the world is coming back, we’re going to every length to participate in as many community events as we can. Whether it’s supporting our community within our facility or our wonderful community outside, we always want to be a force for good!”
— BIO RAW, a vegan food company based in Ontario, Canada, recognized as Best for Community
Customers
“We have been very strategic in partner selection in order to provide services to all kids and families regardless of economic status. We also have a customer-focused theory of change that is our north star. What hasn’t worked for us is straying too far from our core. Do what you do great before you add things that you just do well.”
— Kids in the Game, a New York City-based business that offers school programs and summer camps, recognized as Best for Customers
Environment
“Metal and Wood has continued and enhanced its mission for using business as a force for good while supporting One Tree Planted in aiding reforestation. We’ve also been investigating next steps on reducing water bottle waste by supporting apparel brands that repurpose water bottle plastics.”
— Metal and Wood, a Pennsylvania company that creates unique souvenirs and art pieces, recognized as Best for Environment
Governance
“When we started our first B Impact Assessment, we felt compelled to take a closer look at our mission and company values. We did not have a formal statement and the initial assessment led us to a conversation to develop our mission statement and share it with others. … Since that first assessment, Pure Strategies has grown by almost 50%. We recently engaged our newer employees to look at the values and mission that guide us, to help us further refine these important business attributes. We recognize the need for all new hires to not only understand why we have established the mission and vision, but to also connect to them in a way that they can convey our mission to current and prospective clients.”
— Pure Strategies, a Massachusetts consulting company that helps companies develop sustainability strategies and improve environmental and social performance, recognized as Best for Governance
Workers
“Bluedog values ‘Bluedoggers’ above all assets. To that end we empower work flexibility, invest in career growth, and compensate with living wages. Likewise, our Experience and Celebration team targets event and ‘perk’ spending to impact the local community, including aligning event themes with the UN SDG Planning Calendar, purchasing from local and socially conscious minority-owned businesses, and organizing support of local underserved community organizations.”
— Bluedog Design, a Chicago growth consultancy, recognized as Best for Workers
See the list of 2022 Best for the World B Corps!
This article was originally published at https://usca.bcorporation.net. B The Change gathers and shares the voices from within the movement of people using business as a force for good and the community of Certified B Corporations. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the nonprofit B Lab.
