Measuring environmental impact for B Corp™ certification

In today's world, businesses are increasingly recognizing the urgent need to address environmental challenges and integrate sustainable practices into their operations. As leaders in the sustainability movement, Certified B Corporations™ (B Corps™) go beyond mere rhetoric by actively measuring and managing their environmental impact. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore in detail how B Corps can effectively measure their environmental footprint, enabling them to drive positive change, demonstrate accountability, and inspire others to adopt sustainable practices.

What is the B Impact Assessment™ (BIA)? 

According to the official B Corp website, the B Impact Assessment (BIA) is a fundamental component of the B Corp™ certification process. It is designed to measure a company's social and environmental performance and evaluate its overall impact on various stakeholders, including workers, customers, communities, and the environment. To become a Certified B Corporation™, a company must complete the BIA and meet a minimum performance requirement. 

The BIA consists of a series of questions covering five key impact areas—environment, governance, workers, community, and customers. These questions delve into various aspects of business practices, policies, and metrics. They address employee benefits, supply chain practices, community engagement, environmental management, and product or service impact. The BIA's adaptability allows companies of all sizes and industries to participate, and it is regularly updated to reflect evolving best practices and industry standards.

To gain certification, companies need to get a B Impact Assessment score of 80 or above and pass a risk review.

To keep their certification, existing B Corps™ must update their BIA and verify their updated B Impact score every three years, or after a Change of Control (of company ownership) or Initial Public Offering.

To learn more about how the B Impact Assessment is scored, visit the official website. 

Note that the B Corp™ Standards are currently undergoing a revision. The new standards will feature mandatory requirements for Climate Action and other environmental topics.