Published: 2022
In 2019 Nespresso embarked on pursuing B Corp certification, seeing it as an opportunity to validate a long-standing commitment to sustainability
After scoping and pre-screening, followed by 18 months of data collection, evidencing impact and rigorous verification phase, alongside dealing with a global pandemic, Nespresso successfully achieved certification in April 2022.
It has been a long journey that has taken data collection, collaboration, and transparency to new and often frustrating levels. But this is more than a certification. It’s a movement, a community, and a way that businesses can make changes on a much bigger scale because they are associated to this world of business as ‘a force for good.’
What is B Corp™?
Certified B Corps are companies verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. B Lab looks at a businesses impact across the five pillars of governance, workers, community, customers and environment. Any business in any industry can take the assessment and would need to score at least 80, out of 200 points, in the B impact assessment to be officially certified. There are two scoring factors; the operational score that assesses policies and processes, and the Impact Business Model (IBM) which assesses the positive and direct impact on stakeholder groups. It’s important to recognise that B Corps are also required to meet legal and transparency requirements which includes changing legal articles to ensure accountability, and re-certifying every 3 years.
More than just a stamp mark
If a business is considering B Corp certification and simply looking at ROI and consumer awareness, then they are missing the point. It’s so much more than that. The process and certification help organisations to look at the whole business and structure it in a sustainable and holistic way. It’s a huge undertaking, but if done correctly the process can bring everyone on board and be a force for positive change internally, as well as externally.
Relevance to size and nature of business
Despite having grown from SMEs, the B Corp certification is relevant to all businesses and can be just as meaningful to larger corporations. However, being a big multinational with global operations and many legal entities will inevitably bring lot of complexities. The reality is that all companies need to be held accountable, need to find a way to live their values, and have the transparency and evidence of what they do. This will only become more and more relevant. For Nespresso, the driving factor was a deep conviction that coffee can be a force for good and shape lives and landscapes for the better. So the challenges that come with being a larger business were simply no excuse for not pursuing the B Corp certification and proving that they are living up to those standards.
