Meet the B Corps, certified organizations for the purpose of improving society. A type of company that we are proud to be part of.
For many people, working in a company can be synonymous with spending a large part of the day in front of the computer and making money in exchange for that work. And there is nothing wrong with that, however, it is worth wondering what the purpose of this is or more exact, what is the purpose of the company I am working for? What am I generating with my work?
B Corps are responsible companies where success is not only measured by revenue or shareholder earnings. The key drivers for these companies and how they measure success are the wellbeing of people, society, and nature. The profitability for these organizations depends on the social role they play in society and if they manage to make their business an ethical one.
The "B Corps" began as a movement in the United States with the aim of certifying companies whose goal is to improve society. At present, there are 2,358 companies of this type, in more than 50 countries and 130 industries. Although it may sound new to you, there are several well-known companies that have this label, such as the Patagonia outdoor clothing brand, the Natura cosmetics and the Ben and Jerry's ice creams, which were the drivers of the B Corporations and therefore the first to have this certification, for carrying out actions that helped reduce their carbon footprint.
By obtaining the B Corps certification, the company guarantees the sustainability of its organization and also commits itself to comply voluntarily with high social and environmental standards. This label obliges them to be transparent and in order to be certified, key areas of the company are evaluated such as operations, hierarchy, environmental protection policy, dealing with workers, and their relationship with the community or interest groups.
But above all, the most important item of the evaluation to be certified is the purpose of the company, which must generate a positive impact. If a company simply seeks to generate profits, a shift of organization paradigm is needed before it can start on its journey to becoming a certified B Corp.
In Chile, it is “Sistema B”, that is in charge of the development and certification of these companies, of which Karün is proud to be part of - since 2012 - as a fundamental part of our work is to change the way of looking at the world; creating high-quality eyewear made in a completely different way.
Join this new way of defining success in business and let's start looking at the world from a different point of view!
*You can find out more about B corps on their website
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