B Corp Movement Gets Its Wings In EuropeNonprofit B Lab is tasked with issuing the certificates and looks at a company's contribution to the environment, community and employees.
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Europe is taking a step toward catching up with the U.S. social entrepreneurship movement with B Corp certification launching in the Netherlands today.
Nonprofit organizationB Labis tasked with issuing these certifications and monitors and measures the contributions companies make to their environment, local community and employees. If a company applies and meets certain verifiable standards, then it can earn certification as a B Corporation.
到目前为止,B实验室推出了B公司认证证书n in the USA, South America, Canada and Australia. There are more than 1,300 companies in 38 countries and 121 industries that are certified B Corporations. Big-named corporate leaders include Ben & Jerry's, Patagonia and Etsy.
Related:B Corps: The Next Generation of Company?
The goal is for B Lab to have certified 1,000 companies in Europe by 2017, according to a written statement announcing the expansion. European entrepreneurs are already on their way.
"Since 2014, we've seen 60+ European companies successfully certify as B Corporations with another 500 regional companies currently going through the certification process - the movement is rapidly scaling up which is incredibly exciting," says Marcello Palazzi, who is heading up the B Corp expansion in Europe, in the statement.
The third-party certification is valuable to entrepreneurs in communicating their commitment to giving back to customers quickly. Once a company achieves the B Corp certification, it can put a B Corp "stamp" on its packaging and marketing materials. Also, being a B Corphelps companies attract and retain top talent.Many workers, especially millennials, want to work for a company that has a concrete, tangible program of sustainability and giving back.
Related:Why Eco-Conscious Entrepreneurs Like Method View B Corp as a Badge of Honor
While companies have siphoned off portions of their profits to donate to charities for generations, the growth of the B Corp movement represents the desire of the up-and-coming workforce -- millennials -- to work for a company for which "doing good" is a very public and visible part of a company's business strategy.
In 27 states in the U.S., plus Washington D.C., companies can legally incorporate as a B Corp, an option that provides a company legal protection to make decisions for reasons other than maximizing profit for shareholders. While there are no such options outside the U.S. yet, B Lab is working to offer legally binding frameworks in other countries.
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