Let’s rethink growth with the BCorp movement

The “B Corp” label, created in the United States and now a fixture in nearly 40 countries, spans a community of over 1,400 companies sharing the same goal: demonstrating that private (for-profit) firms can indeed be mobilized to benefit the (for-purpose) public interest, and harnessing the power of business and entrepreneurship to serve the common good (the “B” of “B Corp” denotes “Benefit”). Beyond the certification, B Corp is a corporate movement seeking, in recognition of interdependence with an environment, to rethink the notion of business success and redirect company performance to ensure that everyone stands to gain. As revealed by the presence of international firms in the B Corp community, some of which are listed like Natura, Method, Patagonia and Ben & Jerry’s, the B Corp commitment in no way constrains growth, but instead reshapes it in a way that makes more sense. The focus is no longer narrowly fixed, like with CSR approaches, on limiting negative corporate impacts but now favors creating positive impacts on society and the environment as a core part of the company’s economic model. In some U.S. States, this movement has also given rise to a legal status for companies whose bylaws state a commitment to serving the interests of a broader array of stakeholders than just shareholders, with reliance on Benefit Corporation’s regulations, which provides another topic to be discussed during this session.

Moderator : Elisabeth LAVILLE, Utopies, France

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