EVOLVING THE B CORP CERTIFICATION PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

While significant improvements have been made to our certification standards since B Lab began in 2006, the core aspects of the B Impact Assessment have remained consistent — including the fact that the certification is rooted in a company achieving an overall verified score of 80 through a flexible range of practices and attributes. This approach has been tremendously valuable and impactful in the first 15 years of this movement, yet it has also demonstrated its limitations and challenges.

We see this as an opportunity to ask big questions about how our current performance requirements meet the needs of the moment, and how we can optimize the B Corp movement for the future. Our objective is to adapt and advance our performance requirements in a way that meaningfully demonstrates the leadership role that B Corps and the B Corp movement should play in the world. In updating these core components of B Corp Certification, we must be accountable to ongoing issues of global importance, such as the climate emergency; the urgent international movement for social justice, reduced inequalities, and racial equity; ongoing public health and economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic; economic inequity driven by shareholder primacy; and the intersecting ways in which these global challenges compound one another.

Our improved performance requirements will enable B Corp Certification to become a stronger driver of an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. Our current timeline (subject to change) positions the first three quarters of 2022 for initial drafting and testing of new performance requirements with select company stakeholders, followed by a public comment period. We will continue to update the B Corp community and all stakeholders through this ongoing improvement process. During each phase, there will be invitations and opportunities to participate and provide feedback. You can also fill out our ongoing survey here .

Future updates will be shared below. For more information, please review these Frequently Asked Questions , as well as our previous announcements:

• A call for feedback on the draft of the new standards for B Corp Certification ( 23 September 2022 )

• Update on the Future of the B Corp Certification Performance Requirements ( 23 February 2022 )

• B Corp Performance Requirements Review updates: B Lab expands Regional Standards Advisory Groups, launches next round of community engagement, and updated project timeline ( 15 September 2021 )

• Performance Requirements Review Update: Survey Results and Next Steps ( 21 April 2021 )

• Call for Input on B Corp Certification Performance Requirements ( 2 December 2020 )

Update on the timeline: Since our 23 February 2022 announcement, we’ve extended the timeline for this project, with implementation of the new standards scheduled for 2024. More to come.