B Corp certification is to sustainable business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee or USDA Organic certification is to milk.
B Corps are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.
Today, there is a growing community of more than 600 Certified B Corps from 15 countries and 60 industries working together toward 1 unifying goal: to redefine success in business” Source: B Corps
An effort is on to pass legislation in Oregon during the upcoming session that would create a legal framework for a new kind of company, one that bakes into its founding principles the idea of providing a benefit to its community and its environment in addition to providing a financial return.
Since 2007, the Philadelphia-based nonprofit B Lab has been certifying companies as B Corps., a program that benchmarks, measures and creates a community of like minded B Corp. companies. Think of it as similar to the LEED certification program for the green building industry.” Source: Christina Williams, Sustainable Business Oregon