So what is a B Corporation?
Put simply, certified B Corps are companies who are committed to prioritising their employees, clients, community and environment in the way that they do business.
We’re proud to stand alongside likeminded businesses such as Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, Aesop and TOMS.
Certified B Corporations® are for-profit companies that use the power of business to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy. B Corps are independently assessed to ensure that they meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
Over the past three years our business has been rigorously analysed, with a focus on five key impact areas.
Workers
Workers evaluates a company’s contributions to its employees’ financial security, health & safety, wellness, career development, and engagement & satisfaction. In addition, this section recognises business models designed to benefit workers, such as companies that are at least 40% owned by non-executive employees and those that have workforce development programs to support individuals with barriers to employment.
Community
Community evaluates a company’s engagement with and impact on the communities in which it operates, hires from, and sources from. Topics include diversity, equity & inclusion, economic impact, civic engagement, charitable giving, and supply chain management. In addition, this section recognises business models that are designed to address specific community-oriented problems, such as poverty alleviation through fair trade sourcing or distribution via microenterprises, producer cooperative models, locally focused economic development, and formal charitable giving commitments.
Customers
Customers evaluates a company’s stewardship of its customers through the quality of its products and services, ethical marketing, data privacy and security, and feedback channels. In addition, this section recognises products or services that are designed to address a particular social problem for or through its customers, such as health or educational products, arts & media products, serving underserved customers/clients, and services that improve the social impact of other businesses or organisations.
Governance
Governance evaluates a company’s overall mission, engagement around its social/environmental impact, ethics, and transparency. This section also evaluates the ability of a company to protect their mission and formally consider stakeholders in decision making through their corporate structure (e.g. benefit corporation) or corporate governing documents.
Environment
Environment evaluates a company’s overall environmental management practices as well as its impact on the air, climate, water, land, and biodiversity. This includes the direct impact of a company’s operations and, when applicable its supply chain and distribution channels. This section also recognises companies with environmentally innovative production processes and those that sell products or services that have a positive environmental impact. Some examples might include products and services that create renewable energy, reduce consumption or waste, conserve land or wildlife, provide less toxic alternatives to the market, or educate people about environmental problems.
What’s next?
Undertaking the rigorous assessment and achieving B Corp status is just the beginning. Though we’re proud of everything that we’ve achieved at Queen’s, the process offered huge insights into aspects of the business where we can still do better. We’re far from perfect, but we’re committed to improving in every way we can.
You can find out more about our performance on the B Corp website.
