How Greenly Achieved its B Corp Recertification

Greenly has announced that it has succeeded in getting a B Corp recertification increasing its score from 95.3 to 103.5.

B Corporation status is awarded by B Lab, a non profit organisation that aims to transform the global economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet.

The company says that getting a B Corp certification can elevate a company, from attracting new employees to finding power as a community. 

It aims to set the standards for a good business, raising standards and legal structures. 

What is the B Corporation certification?

The certification assesses companies on its impact surrounding:

• Workers’ rights
• Governance
• Environmental sustainability
• Community engagement 
• Sustainable business practices.

The certification outlines that in order to qualify businesses must go beyond profit-driven decisions and help shape a more just, inclusive and regenerative global economy. 

More than 10,000 companies around the world are now part of the B Corp certification including large companies such as Danone and Nespresso. 

Guillaume Le Cunff, CEO at Nestlé says: “B Corp certification reflects a 30-year Nespresso commitment to sustainability, transparency and responsible business. 

“We are immensely proud to be joining a community of like minds who share our belief that profit and purpose go hand-in-hand. 

“This certification brings added value for our customers and affirms to Nespresso fans that their favourite coffee brand is doing business the right way.”

What were the changes to the B Corp certification?

Over the years people had begun to question whether the B Corp standards were as rigorous as they should be, under the previous model companies could qualify by scoring at least 80 points on the B Impact Assessment, allowing companies to balance weaker areas with stronger ones. 

This made the certification accessible but raised concerns that businesses were gaining the certification without addressing the biggest sustainable impacts. 

Now, B Corp certified businesses must meet explicit performance requirements:

• Meet high social and environmental performance standards assessed across multiple impact areas
• Commit to long term accountability, embedding stakeholder governance into legal structure
• Ensure transparency by publicly disclosing performance 
• Demonstrate continuous improvement, with re-certification every three years under stricter standards

Now companies certifying as B Corp will need to create a climate action plan, using science based targets and reporting emissions annually. 

Companies now must qualify in all sevenPurpose & Stakeholder areas including:

• Purpose & stakeholder governance
• Fair work
• Justice, equity, diversity & inclusion
• Human rights
• Climate action
• Environmental stewardship and circularity 
• Government affairs and collective action

The new certification recognises that different sectors need to meet different requirements, so has set out contextualisation mechanisms, aiming to ensure fair implementation. 

Chris Turner, CEO of B Lab UK says: “Our economy is at a crossroads. 

“Business can either step up and play a pivotal role in solving the social and environmental challenges we face or stick to the status quo.” 

“B Lab’s new standards serve as a roadmap for companies that want to lead. This isn’t merely an update; it sets a new bar for positive impact. 

“So at a time of uncertainty, and with recent progress at risk, I’m excited about the potential for positive change that these standards unlock.”

What advice does Greenly give to get recertified?

Greenly’s overall B Impact score came in at 103.5, with 80 being the number needed to qualify for the certification. 

It’s scored were summarised from five categories including:

• 17.7 in Governance 
• 39 in Workers
• 19.9 in Community 
• 23.8 for Environment 
• 1.8 for customers 

The company laid out how others could also get B Corp certification.

It says that becoming a B Corp certified business is a significant investment due to financial costs and time commitments, meaning companies need to allocate sufficient resources to meet new standards.

Greenly says businesses should prepare early by assessing the current standards compared to the updated impact topics. 

The company says that investment needs to happen to develop climate strategy, including emissions tracking and reduction targets.

Alongside reductions, Greenly says companies must ensure governance structures are aligned with stakeholders accountability requirements, as well as committing to full transparency and public disclosure of key impact metrics. 

Alexis Normand, CEO of Greenly says: “Greenly’s vision is built on the belief that the climate emergency requires a global awakening and that companies—major contributors to worldwide emissions — have a pivotal role to play. 

“By 2030, Greenly aims for every executive to treat carbon reporting with the same regularity and rigour as financial reporting.”