How do you become a B Corp?Updated 20 days ago

Under version 1.6 of the standards, to achieve certification, companies complete an assessment in the B Impact platform and must meet a minimum of 80 points before submitting their assessment to be verified by B Lab. 

This requires a whole-of-business approach, and covers leadership, supply chains, operations, environmental impact and governance. B Corp Certification is a rigorous process that takes significant time and effort to demonstrate and measure a business’ impact.

Over 300,000 companies have engaged in the assessment, and the average score achieved by companies is 50. Eighty points is a high bar for the average business. That’s why achieving B Corp Certification sets businesses apart: they are verified on credible social and environmental business practices, and make a commitment to accountability and transparency. 

In April 2025, B Lab introduced its updated global standards. While updating our standards is something we have always done, this new set of standards represents the biggest shift in B Corp’s history. From 2026, B Corps will need to meet mandatory performance requirements across seven Impact Topics:

• Purpose & Stakeholder Governance: Companies act in accordance with a defined purpose that is made public and embed stakeholder governance in decision-making, and create governance structures to monitor purpose, social, and environmental performance.

• Climate Action: Develop an action plan to support limiting global warming to 1.5°C.

• Human Rights: Understand how their operations and value chain may involve negative human rights impacts and take action to prevent and mitigate negative impacts.

• Fair Work: Provide good quality jobs and have positive workplace cultures, implement fair wage practices, and incorporate worker feedback in decision-making.

• Environmental Stewardship & Circularity: Assess their environmental impacts and take meaningful action to minimise them in their operations.

• Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: Foster inclusive and diverse workplaces and contribute meaningfully to just and equitable communities. 

• Government Affairs & Collective Action: Engage in collective efforts to drive systemic change, advocate for policies that create positive social and environmental outcomes, and, for the largest companies, publicly share their country-by-country tax reports.

The specific requirements that a company must fulfil will depend on its size, sector, industry and geographical location, ranging from 20 to 124 requirements to be certified. Companies must also meet Foundation Requirements, including eligibility, legal accountability, and risk assessment tailored to their profile.

From 2026, certification on the new standards will take a phased approach across 5 years, with companies required to demonstrate continuous improvement — meeting new milestones at 3 and 5 years post-certification.