10 Apr 14 Pioneering Northants businesses hosted a B Corp and Sustainable Business Event at the University of Northampton

The Northants B Corp Community, made up of 14 certified B Corporations, held a well-attended B Corp and Sustainable Business Event, in conjunction with the Centre for Sustainable Business Practices (CSBP) at the University of Northampton. Over 40 businesses and business support representatives took part in engaging round table discussions and enjoyed networking and learning from each other.

What is a B Corp?

Certified B Corporations, or B Corps, are companies verified by third party B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. B stands for Benefit for all. The B Corp movement is a global movement of people using business as a force for good.

Who are the Northamptonshire B Corps?

B Corps are represented in all corners of the UK. There are now over 1,900 Certified B Corporations in the UK employing over 80,000 people. Northamptonshire has 14 certified B Corps, with a number of other businesses working towards certification. They come from a variety of industries and sectors; food and drink, personal care, financial planning, HR, Built Environment, Consultancy, and consumer products. The purpose of the Northants B Corp community group is to engage, connect and support the shared interests of like-minded businesses in the Northants area, and raise awareness of the B Corp movement. For a full list of Northamptonshire B Corp businesses – find out here

The aim of all the certified B Corps in Northamptonshire is to leverage the breadth of insights, experience, and innovations across their industries to share best practices and support and influence the wider Northamptonshire business community.

Why aspire to be a B Corp?

Britain has one of the largest and fastest-growing communities of sustainable businesses in the world. With the UN calling for transformational change to avoid climate disaster, now more than ever the UK needs business to act as a force for good. Compared to traditional businesses, B Lab UK data shows that B Corps have a faster growth in turnover (27% vs 5%) and employee headcount (14% vs 1%), greater levels of employee retention, engagement and diversity, higher levels of innovation and are more successful in securing equity finance (70% vs 56%). And finally, more than half of UK adults use business certifications to make decisions about business to buy from and work for.

For more information on B Corp, go to https://bcorporation.uk/ and follow the Northants B Corp Community on LinkedIn,  https://www.linkedin.com/company/northants-b-corp/