Updating the new B Corp standards is not for the faint of heart. The upcoming changes, dubbed the "evolution of standards," are the biggest changes B Lab has made in its 17 year history. Joining us to delve into these changes and the reasons behind them is Clay Brown, Head of Standards for Certification and Product Delivery at B Lab Global.
Clay plays a critical role in evolving, growing, and scaling programs, products, and tools, including the B Corp Certification. Having spent almost a decade with Fair Trade USA, he has extensive experience with certification practices across industries. From this informed perspective, Clay explains how B Lab is developing the new B Corp standard to be both ambitious and attainable and what they are doing to ensure that they bring the B Corp community along for the journey.
We unpack the rigorous process companies undergo to achieve B Corp status and the benefits of joining a community committed to high standards of accountability and transparency. We also examine the challenges and opportunities in scaling B Corp programs globally and how businesses can align their practices with broader social and environmental goals.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Clay’s background working in Fair Trade certification and his transition to B Lab.
- Key similarities and differences between Fair Trade and B Corp standards and certification.
- B Lab's evolution of standards and the significant shift it is currently undergoing.
- How the B Corp standard is changing its scoring system and taking a more holistic approach.
- Incorporating B Corp community ideas, feedback, and practices into the new B Corp standard.
- The high level of care taken when processing feedback and evaluating what will be included.
- Prioritizing transparency; insights into the feedback and revision process.
- Balancing creating a standard that is both ambitious and attainable.
- B Lab’s commitment to bringing the B Corp community along on this journey.
- Utilizing B Corp consultants and implementing the new standards globally.
- The current state of the economy and the challenge it poses for B Corp companies.
- Unpacking the broad scope of responsibility that B Lab has.
- What Clay wants people to know about B Lab and upcoming milestones to anticipate.
Quotations:
“B Lab really believes that it's possible to have a different type of business, to do business differently, to have an economy that is leading to positive impacts and not just extractive.” — Clay Brown [0:04:21]
“We see so much innovation in the B Corp community, and we want to learn from that. We want to incorporate those ideas and those practices into the standard.” — Clay Brown [0:14:35]
“What we get in the end is an ambitious standard, but one that's attainable with the right effort.” — Clay Brown [0:22:00]
“The responsibility of our team is to receive [community] feedback, process that feedback, understand it, document it, and then evaluate and make decisions about what ultimately goes in the standard. That's a hard job, and it's a job that we take very seriously.” — Clay Brown [0:23:19]
“Our top priority is ensuring that we move to an impactful, clear standard as soon as possible, but doing so by bringing the B Corp community along on that journey with us.” — Clay Brown [0:32:06]
“I hope people understand that we [at B Lab] are in this together with the B Corp community. We are all operating with good and aligned intentions.” — Clay Brown [0:50:28]
“[B Lab is] not here to create a certification and standard for the sake of certification. We're here to change the economic system.” — Clay Brown [0:52:15]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
- B Lab Global: https://www.bcorporation.net/
- Clay Brown on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clay-brown-a3969863/
Clay Brown on Next Economy Now: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/clay-brown - Fair Trade USA: https://www.fairtradecertified.org/
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