Being eco-conscious and planet-friendly are an important brand value for a lot of businesses these days, and with the rise of 'greenwashing', companies are seeking new ways of demonstrating to the general public that they truly care about these issues. This could be why more and more businesses are seeking to become 'B Corp' - a certification that proves a high standard of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
B Corp businesses are certified by B Lab, a non-profit organisation launched in 2006 as part of a sustainability-focussed movement to "address society's most critical challenges".
The garden and horticulture industry is more susceptible than others to the effects of climate change, relying as it does on favourable growing conditions, rich biodiversity and safe working environments for growers, so it's no surprise that so many companies in the sector have recently sought certification.
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In 2024, Sarah Raven became the first online garden retailer to gain B Corp status, while Norfolk's Thetford Garden Centre announced it was the first B Corp garden centre. The landscape architecture firm Austin Design Works and The Pig hotels also gained B Corp certification last year. They join more than 2,000 B Corps in the UK, and over 9,000 companies across 160 industries worldwide, all dedicated to having a positive impact on people, communities and the planet.
Why customers value B Corp businesses
Simon Burvill, founder of the luxury outdoor furniture retailer Gaze Burvill, is proud to be part of the B Corp movement. “At a time when much of what we read in the press is focussed on corporate misadventures and climate change, B Corps are championing an alternative way of operating," he says. "The governing body B-Lab is setting high standards to keep companies on their toes. They cannot market so-called 'good behaviour' or 'good products' if they don’t meet the standards required as a whole”. He sees accreditation as “the only true independent measure as to whether companies are genuinely a force for good".
James Kennedy from flower delivery business Petalon believes gaining B Corp status is a useful and trustworthy marker for customers to spot genuinely sustainable businesses. “Most customers don't want to wade through our blog posts for all the details," he explains. "We wanted some sort of objective assessment so that our customers can rest assured they're choosing a better kind of flower delivery”.
Petalon, which James runs with his wife Florence, became Europe’s first B Corp florist in 2023, and puts 100% of its profits towards conservation initiatives, and half its land towards wildlife conservation.
What's involved?
Becoming B Corp certified involves more than making a few sustainable swaps. While Gaze Burvill had already installed solar panels, electric charging stations and a biomass boiler, and had always used carefully sourced, certified wood, it had to demonstrate ongoing progress across its business practices as it pursued B Corp status. As Simon puts it, “your good work for company, community and planet are quantified, and written into the legal framework of the business”. Everything from legal structure and energy usage to supply chain, employee benefits and transparency is reviewed.
At The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, which was England’s first B Corp visitor garden, the team have introduced glow worms, water voles and beavers, and welcomed a local Cub and Scout group to move their base on-site. The business also runs research projects with universities into regenerative grazing, growing practices and soil health, whilst paying its 100-strong diverse workforce the living wage with zero gender pay gap.
The benefits of B Corp
James says being recognised as a B Corp has benefits over other schemes. Petalon chose not to renew its certification with ClimatePartner last year, which verifies businesses as carbon neutral. “We were able to confess to the carbon impacts we had and commit to compensating for them, but the process took no account of the good things we do.
“In fact, as a business we are enormously carbon negative — we've planted over 6,000 trees on our farm, as well as implementing an extensive composting programme. Our regenerative agriculture practices have taken nearly 70 acres of farmland previously used for a fairly bleak form of factory farming, and made it into what is now a vibrant ecosystem.”
It’s clear that business owners value the B Corp certification for its comprehensive and ongoing assessment. Of course, this comes with a significant amount of work and analysis on the business’s side. Simon admits the process of becoming a B Corp is thorough and probing, but does help highlight areas for improvement and quick wins for the business.
Gaining B Corp status also has its unexpected benefits, such as in recruitment, as “more of the next generation are looking to companies to act responsibly”. Indeed, the B Corp website has a search box for visitors looking to work with certified corporations around the world. In turn, Simon values “driving change we feel is important and showing our support for the movement”.
Starting the B Corp process
Simon Burvill’s recommendation to businesses looking into the certification process? “Definitely go for it, but be prepared for it to take up a big chunk of time, as you have to provide significant amounts of data.”
Overall though, Simon would encourage all companies to make a start at the Business Impact Assessment. “It's free and there is no obligation to go further. Don’t be afraid to seek help as there is plenty out there and an enormous amount of goodwill from the B Corp community towards both newcomers and those striving to join.”
Sir Tim Smit, founder of The Lost Gardens of Heligan, believes “being mindful to the overall wellbeing of everything is a foundational step to a new way of doing business. One day we will look back in amazement at these early tentative steps, and wonder why everybody didn’t see the future coming.”
Find out more about B Corp and the certification process at bcorporation.uk
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