A Certified B Corporation is one that adheres to the highest standards in social and environmental responsibility. You may have seen the B Corp logo on consumer products before. It graces shampoo bottles, jacket tags, and shoe labels, but you can also find it on service organizations like law firms, banks, marketing firms, and consulting companies. More than 5,000 companies in 83 countries have become B Corporations, spanning 156 industries.
These companies have earned an 80 or above score on the B Impact Assessment and undergone a vetting process to ensure that their supply chains are as sustainable as possible, that their carbon footprint is offset, that their employees are well taken care of, and that they reframe their governance to include all stakeholders of their business, not just the shareholders.
Urban Green Lab is excited to announce the relaunch of B Tennessee!
B Tennessee is a community of purpose-driven businesses and citizens energized by a sustainable future, led by a desire to use business as a force for good. Urban Green Lab now serves as a resource for local businesses interested in pursuing B Corp Certification by providing connections that aid in the Certification process, and we are working to grow the support system around B Corporations in Tennessee.
We’ll leverage the knowledge of our resident Tennessee B Corporations and give them the floor to share their successful business models with companies interested in pursuing certification.
We’ll educate consumers, business owners, and anyone interested in the B Corp movement through networking events, panel discussions, and a virtual membership platform.
Pursuing B Corp status has benefits that far exceed a nice new logo on your products. Undergoing any third-party certification process, like B Corp or Urban Green Lab Certification, rallies employees around a shared purpose beyond their day-to-day work, which increases employee engagement and in the long run, creates a covetable work environment with high retention rates. Third party certifications that align with customers’ values can also increase revenue for the company, which ultimately leads to a greater positive impact.
Decarbonizing the packaged food industry, or any industry for that matter can begin with the standards outlined by B Lab. We have the tools to make the business a force for good, so why not start now?
Take the free Impact Assessment for your business to see where you stand. Choose a few items to work on, and run them up the flagpole at your organization. Check out this guide to Certification, and get involved with B Tennessee. Together, we can shift the business community in Tennessee to prioritize the health of our community and shared planet.
Jacqueline Goodwin is the Assistant Director of Workplaces at Urban Green Lab. She oversees the Urban Green Lab Certification Program and the Nashville Sustainability Roundtable. More…