B Lab Europe creates the B Corp Way platform to connect B Corp consultancies with companies seeking to be part of the movement to Redefine the Role of Business in Society

25 Founding B Corp Consultancies from 7 countries of Europe offer 44 separate services

Amsterdam, October 1st 2020 – In pursuit of its mission to use the power of business to drive regenerative and equitable outcomes for people and planet, and at a time of urgency and crisis, B Lab Europe today announces the launch of the B Corp Way initiative.

Inspired by the leadership of the global Certified B Corporation community, many companies, especially large complex multinationals, seek support as they transform their businesses to create long-term value creation for all stakeholders. B Corp Way provides a platform which matches the needs of companies with the support services offered by B Corp consultancies across the continent, selected by B Lab Europe for their expertise in specific areas. As certified B Corps themselves, all B Corp Way partners are committed to the vision of maximising social and environmental impact within their own organisations and their clients.

The B Corp Way initiative has been designed to meet a growing demand from company leaders for support on their impact journey. The companies that are likely to benefit from this initiative may indeed be on the path to B Corp certification themselves; to support them, 11 B Corp consultancies offering comprehensive project management support in 5 European languages are presented on B Corp Way. Or they may be targeting a specific area of transformation, such as radical carbon reduction within their business operations. Again, B Corp Way partners have been selected to support this ambition. Companies seeking to integrate SDGs deeply into their business planning will find a choice of 6 B Corp Way partners on the platform to support them. All offerings on this initiative are grounded in B Corp methodology, and B Corp Way partners tailor the services to meet companies’ specific needs.

B Corps themselves may also use the B Corp Way platform as they seek to raise their impact performance even higher, such as any of the 700 B Corps that have committed to be Carbon Net Zero by 2030. The B Corp Way complements B Lab’s recently launched B Movement Builders programme. This is designed to support large public companies that are committed to the principles of the B Corp movement, and are planning to drive company-level actions and collective actions that bring these principles to life. The platform will continue to grow with further service offerings and partners; the next offerings will include Communicating the B impact vision, and how to bring the B Corp principles into the Boardroom.

B Lab Europe created this programme to meet two key needs identified in Europe; firstly, to ensure that no company that sought to be impactful, was left without knowing where to secure the support it needed to carry out this ambition; and secondly, to provide the infrastructure to support the concept of Europe as a “continent for impact”. In this decade of action, B Lab Europe, along with its global partners, are committed to driving change deep into our economic system.

The founding B Corp partners are drawn from all across the continent, and are the result of B Lab Europe’s application and selection process. Once a connection is made through the online platform, the relationship is then formed directly between the B Corp Way partner and the company seeking support. Whilst the service offerings are all centred in Europe, companies from across the globe may benefit from the platform’s offerings.

The founding B Corp Way partners are:

Agence Declic, (France); Bartle, (France, Belgium); Better Future, (Netherlands); Better Green, (Denmark); BIKonsulting, (Spain); Endeva,(Germany); Focus Lab, (Italy); Generøs, (Denmark); Goodpoint, (Italy); Haatch, (France); Imaginable, (France); Impact Advisors, (Luxembourg / UK); InVento Innovation Lab, (Italy); Kirkman Company, (Netherlands); Maerk, (Denmark); MAS Business, (Spain); Nativa, (Italy); NOW Partners, (pan- European); Roots for Sustainability, (Spain); Sofies, (Switzerland); The Change Collective, (Netherlands); The Terrace, (Netherlands); Toovalu, (France); Urban Volt (Ireland); Utopies (France).

Chair of B Lab Europe Supervisory Board, Marilou van Golstein Brouwers said : “I am delighted to see Europe driving meaningful change in company behaviour through the creation of the B Corp Way platform. It is a much needed and welcome addition to the suite of offerings from B Lab to help companies become ever more focused on the effect of their operations on society and the environment. There is nothing standing in the way of motivated companies seeking to improve their impact.”

Senior Consultant, Kirkman Company, Marit Schouten said: “We believe that every organisation has the right and duty to be relevant to all stakeholders. This should be the standard. To get there, we need guts, persistence and collaboration to make this transformation happen”. B Corp Way Partner, Utopies, Antoine Joint said: “It is thrilling to see that 5 years after we launched the B Corp movement in France, companies’ demand for certification is growing exponentially, not only in France but also in Europe. The B Corp Way program is a critical initiative to support this acceleration and help companies transform themselves to shape sustainable economies and societies. We are proud to be on board.”

Founder and Managing Partner, Endeva, Dr. Christina Tewes-Gradl said: “We welcome the B Corp Way as a platform to connect companies that aim to transform themselves towards business with purpose, and those who can help them achieve it. We help companies see their role in future systems, and the B Corp network offers the right partners to implement the change.”

CEO, BIKonsulting, Javier Goikoetxea Seminario, said: “B Corp Way is the right way to effectively progress towards the strategic improvement of companies by supporting their purpose. It brings us security, resilience and a path of action and improvement towards business sustainability in its purest and most holistic concept. B Corp Way and its BIA are the right tools, they are YOUR tools.”

Impact Director, Nativa, Nicola Piccolo stated “ As a B Corp, interdependence is one of our core principles. That means also sharing the good business practices we apply to our company with anyone who wants to make a difference. The B Corp Way puts the knowledge of businesses as a force for good at the disposal of other businesses as a force for good and we believe this approach will contribute to strengthen the European leadership in sustainable development.”

Partner at NOW Partners, Walter Link said: “NOW’s 100 global partners contribute to co-creating a regenerative market economy by demonstrating that large corporations, too, can fully integrate economic success with the regeneration of people and planet.”

Co-Founder & Partner, Roots for Sustainability, Raimon Puigjaner said: “More than ever, companies need to work collectively and interdependently toward a system that is truly inclusive, equitable, and empowers all people. The world is calling on companies to act in meaningful and authentic ways to address the rampant inequality and climate crises which are becoming more acute and threaten the most basic of systems on which all of life and business depend: nature and human interdependence.”

Founding Partner, Bartle, Max-Hervé Dujardin, said: “We are very proud to have been selected as partners of B Lab Europe; we look forward to helping other companies concerned about their impact on the world by leveraging our experience in the B Corp certification on the one hand and in major transformations on the other. We are convinced that after digital transformation, the new challenge for companies will be their ability to integrate societal and environmental dimensions at the heart of their strategy and activities.” COO, UrbanVolt, Graham Deane, said: “Urban Volt is proud to be part of the B Corp Way program. As recent world events have shown community response to challenges is essential. As part of the B Corp community it is our firm belief that working together is the most effective and efficient way to bring about change”.

Senior Consultant, Sofies, Caroline Heinz said: “Through the B Corp Way program we can support companies with the tracking, measuring and improvement of their performance and to find sustainable solutions with the ultimate goal to create positive impact for our society and environment. Sofies is proud to be part of this journey as we see this as a stepping stone for proactive change in businesses across the world.”

CEO, Agence Declic, Mathieu Tripault said: “Our ambition is to help create more efficient and sustainable territories. By joining the B Corp Way programme, we are convinced that this will have a knock-on effect and accelerate the transformation of companies, which are essential actors in the transformation of territories”.

Please visit www.bcorpway.net or contact Katie Hill, CEO B Lab Europe at katie@bcorporation.eu for further information.

About B Lab: B Lab is transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet. A leader in economic systems change, our global network creates standards, policies, and tools for business and we certify companies—known as B Corps—who are leading the way. To date, our community includes over 3,500 B Corps in 70 countries and 150 industries, over 8,000 benefit corporations, and more than 100,000 companies manage their impact with the B Impact Assessment and the SDG Action Manager. www.bcorporation.eu.

Media Contacts
Katie Hill
katie@bcorporation.eu