Environmentally Responsible Company Joins Growing B Corp Movement

Earning the coveted B Corp certification was intensive, which speaks to the integrity and thoroughness of the process.  First and foremost, we had to have a baseline of socially and environmentally responsible business practices to qualify us.  Some of the things that B Lab, the certifying body, looked at through an extensive assessment process were our employment practices, our carbon management and waste practices, and our governance practices.  In order to earn the B Corp certification, a minimum score of 80/200 was required.  We were pleased to meet and exceed the minimum, indicating that we are on the right track as an organization.

Following the assessment process, B Lab required that we provide them with documentation to back up our responses.  This was also intensive, as it required us to prove that we were walking our talk.  However, as the staff member taking the lead on this project, I appreciated this requirement because it forced me to examine and ensure that we could indeed back up our claims.

Finally, as a new B Corp, we were asked to decree our willingness to support B Corp progress and legislation.  Ideally, all 50 states will someday recognize the B Corp as a legitimate business filing status; as it stands today, only six states do.  Part of B Lab’s mission is to support legislation that will create the B Corp status at the state level so that any company that is triple bottom line oriented will be able to seek B Corp as its legal status.

We are also pleased to have partnered with B Lab as a service provider to other B Corporations.  This allows us to show our support for the B Corp community.  Beginning this year, any certified B Corps will receive a 50% discount on our carbon accounting software, Mosaic™.  Mosaic is a web-based application that helps organizations to measure, understand, and reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.  We are excited to partner with B Corps as they actively work to reduce the environmental impact of their operations.

There is still more that we can be doing at Renewable Choice, and as we enter 2012, we’re already considering the ways in which we can continue to practice what we preach by strengthening our socially and environmentally responsible business practices.  We invite and encourage all companies with a commitment to sustainability to pursue B Corp status like we did!

Amy Haddon is Director of Business Operations for Renewable Choice.