The idea behind FAB Talks is to combine refreshing talks in an inspiring environment with business networking in an innovative way, in order to stimulate exciting discussions and have open questions answered by experts. The vision is to build an interdisciplinary network and, in the long term, initiate and implement projects together.
On July 10th, the 23rd FABtalks took place at CODE_n in Stuttgart on the topic of "B Corp – Business as a Force For Good". Together with the BMW Foundation, ABURY would like to use this FABtalks series in Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, and Düsseldorf to make the B Corp topic better known in Germany, explain the certification process, and inspire other entrepreneurs to dedicate themselves to this topic.
Andrea Bury, founder of ABURY, a fair trade lifestyle label, guided through the evening. Andrea is a "Responsible Leader" at the BMW Foundation and was inspired to have her company, ABURY, B Corp certified by a presentation on Sistema B (the B Corp movement in South America) at the 2016 Global Responsible Leaders Forum. ABURY has been a certified B Corp since May 2017.
The idea of B Corps originated in the USA in 2006, where it is already widespread and very well-known. The founders, Jay Coen Gilbert, Bart Houlahan, and Andrew Kassoy, wanted to ensure that a company's social mission remains intact even after a change of ownership.
Summary of the talks
Janneke Wagner (B Lab Europe):
B Lab is the non-profit organization behind B Corp. B Corp status is awarded to companies that use the power of entrepreneurship to find solutions for social and environmental problems. To date, there are 3,000 B Corps in 170 countries and 50 industries.
With the help of the B Impact Assessment, a questionnaire with about 90 questions, the impact of a company can be measured in the areas of corporate governance, environment, community, employees, and customers. A total of 200 points can be achieved in the assessment - companies that reach at least 80 points are certified. The questions are accessible online free of charge at https://app.bimpactassessment.net .
There are different assessments depending on the company's size, location, and industry. After answering the questions, they go to B Lab, where the points must be verified. This means that B Lab questions the answers and requires "proof" for the answers in order to actually credit the points.
Every company that wants to become a B Corp must also change its company statutes at the end. A clause states that the company will consider its employees, society, and the environment in all decisions that are made, and that this will not change even if the company is sold.
The length of the certification process varies. For large companies, it can take up to several years, while for small companies, it is faster. ABURY, for example, took 4 months for certification! What is special about the certification is that it is a dynamic process—meaning that you are inspired by the questions to change processes within the company and can then, once you have achieved the change, proceed to the final certification. B Lab accompanies and helps you along this path.
p>
New assessments are currently being developed for larger companies so that they can use B Corp standards to learn from the expertise and measure their impact, even if they do not become B Corp certified.
The European B Corp Summit will take place in Amsterdam on September 23rd and 24th. All B Corps and interested companies are cordially invited. You can find further information at bcorporation.eu.
Stefan Siemer (Head of Sustainability Weleda)
Weleda has been a sustainable company since its founding in 1921: the company motto "In harmony with human and nature" still applies today. Thus, Weleda has decided to become B Corp certified. For a company with 2,500 employees in 22 national subsidiaries, this is a long process, but the goal is to be certified by 2022.
In some areas, such as sustainable corporate governance, Weleda is already well-advanced with its management style, while in other areas there is still much to do. Engaging with the requirements of the B Corp certification promotes a culture of transparency and commitment among employees. The willingness to stand up for something increases.
Siemer likes the fact that the certification process makes standards, which may already be practiced in the company, binding and encourages further consideration. Weleda invests heavily in the further education and training of its employees. When it comes to climate protection, there will be a tough policy – how much flying is allowed, what happens to the car as a status symbol? – these are primarily challenges on a cultural level, especially in an international company.
Siemer is of the opinion that certificates at the corporate level are necessary because consumers are paying more and more attention to transparency and credibility. A certificate like B Corp can provide the security that there are no losers when the consumer buys a product.
Discussion
Audience question to Janneke Wagner: If a company has already incorporated sustainability standards, how can these be taken into account in the B Lab Europe Impact Assessment?
Janneke Wagner: The standards that B Corp certifications are based on are developed by an independent council and revised every three years. So, B Corp companies can and should re-certify every three years.
The questionnaires are designed to be interactive. If a company is already further ahead in certain areas, a comment can be added, and the council will take the suggestions into account in the revision. If a company already follows sustainable standards or has acquired other certificates, this can also be indicated in the questionnaire—points are then awarded for this. Currently, a project group at B Lab Europe is working on a cooperation with the UN Global Compact to represent the Sustainable Development Goals even more strongly in the questionnaire.
Audience question: Can larger companies also get certified?
Janneke Wagner: There are various larger companies that want to get certified. Danone, for example, with 100,000 employees, has set itself the goal of achieving B Corp certification by 2030. Unilever has also started to certify its subsidiaries one by one.
The questionnaire generally evaluates only positive aspects. If Coca Cola were interested in B Corp certification and initiated many positive changes, then certification could eventually be possible here, too. Nespresso is also showing interest in B Corp and the associated sustainability standards. At the stage the company is currently in, certification is hard to imagine, but who knows how the company will develop in the future.
For B Lab Europe, it is important that as many companies as possible engage with the questionnaire and use it to measure their impact on various levels. To date, over 50,000 companies have filled out the questionnaire and used it as a method of reflection.
Audience question to Stefan Siemer: How is sustainability practiced in the daily corporate life at Weleda?
Stefan Siemer: There are still no globally uniform standards at Weleda, but we are working towards that. Wherever we build new facilities, we build ecologically. Regarding mobility, the next steps are to positively incentivize bicycle mobility: there are to be charging stations for e-bikes and fewer parking spaces for cars. In terms of social sustainability, employees can approach the various products through so-called "workshop hours." A two-hour plant meditation, for example, shows what the ingredients—rose, gold, lavender—do to a person. This creates a connection with the company's values for the employees.
Of course, we always strive to save water, electricity, and energy; this is an ongoing process that is continuously being improved.
Audience question: How are the different divisions of a company accounted for in the questionnaire? For example, is there a point deduction for production that can be offset by social activities? How is the product exactly included?
Andrea Bury: ABURY works with leather, which is not a particularly sustainable raw material. We had our leather and the threads we use tested by an eco-institute to prove that we work according to European standards. Nevertheless, leather processing is generally not ecological, and we do not receive points in some areas. However, it is also about trying to improve things. Next year, for example, we have decided to work with a community in Ethiopia and organic cotton. In this way, we were named "Best of the World" in the community area, which is ABURY's focus.
Stefan Siemer: Weleda also produces pharmaceuticals. These are investigated all around: proof of efficacy, what are the components, are there risks and side effects. There are also legal obligations for animal testing that we cannot bypass, even if we want to. With our natural cosmetic products, it is fortunately different; here, there are of course no animal tests. Otherwise, we probably wouldn't be able to get certified as a B Corp. For other aspects, there are many gray areas.
Many thanks to our partners, the BMW Foundation and B Lab Germany, and
THANK YOU FOR COMING AND SEE YOU NEXT TIME!!
Share: