March is B Corp Month, and we’re proud to be a certified B Corp so what better time to celebrate our B Corp journey.

What’s a B Corp?

We’ve proudly shared our B Corp status in the past, but we’re happy to catch you up. A B Corp (or ‘Benefit Corporation’) is a company that is verified by the non-profit organisation B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Simply put, a certified B Corp has shown it cares about more than just profit and shareholders, hence the perfectly fitting slogan: ‘We go beyond’.

Our B Corp journey

Untouched World was founded to make a positive difference in the world. We have always celebrated living in harmony with nature and, as a business, it’s never been just about making a profit. People and planet have always been at the very heart of our brand, so it made sense for us to rubber stamp all that effort and apply for a B Corp certification.

To achieve certification, all companies must:

• Demonstrate high social and environmental performance
• Make a legal commitment to become accountable to all stakeholders (that’s everyone from suppliers to customers), not just shareholders
• Be transparent and allow their performance, as measured by B Lab, to be publicly shared

Written down in just a few bullet points, it might give the impression that it’s a simple process, but it’s incredibly rigorous and comprehensive, and our impact across all areas was measured to review how well we balance purpose with profit.

During the certification process, we had to undertake an impact assessment, a risk review, and disclose lots of information about our brand. All this information was then independently evaluated and verified, a process which includes phone calls and the submission of documentation to make sure that everything we said was backed up with proof.

Everything is broken down into five categories: governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. Each category is scored separately, and the scores are added up, providing the final B Impact Score. We scored 83.5 and officially became a certified B Corp in 2021. We scored particularly well in environment and community, two areas which we’re incredibly invested in.

Why we value being a B Corp

Being a B Corp doesn’t just make the positive work that we’ve always done a little more official, it means we’re part of a global community of businesses that are striving to do better for the world and the wider community.

In 2023, the B Corp community grew to 8,000 companies across 161 industries in 95 countries. Collectively, these companies employ over 740,000 people, and yet they all have one united goal. Being part of such a vibrant and varied group is a powerful thing, it harmonises our efforts and reminds us that we’re not alone. We are inspired and encouraged by other B Corps and in turn we inspire and encourage others.

In addition, the B Corp certification is a guarantee for our customers. Many companies talk about the good they’re doing but it can be difficult to know what’s true and what’s not. In being B Corp certified, we show our customers that we’ve done the work, laid out the proof, and a trusted third party agrees that we are making a positive difference in all we do.

What’s next?

One of the factors that makes B Corp certification so meaningful and trustworthy is that you can’t just get certified and stay certified forever, you must reapply every three years to ensure you still live up to all the required standards. 2024 is the year we reapply, and our aim has always been to get an even higher score the second time around.

Once again, we will have to submit assessments and proof to show that we remain committed to doing business in a way that’s beneficial to people and planet. We could also be selected for a site review which will mean a B Lab analyst would visit our facility to see exactly how we operate. It’s yet another part of the transparency that underpins B Corp certification.

We’ve always been the kind of company to set goals and continually improve, but having a score to work from is incredibly helpful in focusing our efforts and understanding where we’re excelling and where we could do even more. As always, we will be sharing our progress, so keep an eye out for news about our recertification.

And of course, throughout March, we’ll be celebrating the global B Corp community, discussing our motivations, sharing some of our favourite fellow B Corps, and inspiring others to commit to taking meaningful action.

To learn more about B Corps:

• Read: Untouched World’s 2021 B Impact Score
• Watch: The B Corp Movement
• Listen: How can business act with purpose?