London, 15th April 2024 – Companies are leading the shift to better business as the UK B Corp community reaches its latest milestone. Today, B Lab UK reveals that there are officially 2,000 Certified B Corporations in the UK — a figure that has doubled in just eighteen months. Certified B Corporations, or B Corps, are businesses that prioritise people and the planet alongside profit. They measure and improve their impact on their employees, customers, local communities and the environment and make a legal commitment to ensure this expanded duty of care is locked in for the future.
Oxfordshire businesses that are already taking accountability for their impact through B Corp Certification include Oxwash, Y.O.U. Underwear, Ella’s Kitchen, Audley Travel, Jump in Puddles Consultancy and OKA Direct.
Louder Than Words
The milestone comes as B Lab UK announces that it will be bringing this growing community together for the largest ever in-person gathering of B Corps. Louder Than Words — The B Corp Festival will take place in Oxford on 10th-11th September with the aim to mobilise business action on critical social and environmental issues. The Edinburgh fringe-style event will be a space for B Corps and friends of the movement to connect, collaborate, share ideas and challenge one another on the journey to redefining the role of business in our economy. There will be headline moments from the main stage at Oxford’s New Theatre alongside wider events and activities to choose from across the city.
The appetite for B Corp Certification has grown in recent years and the UK now hosts one of the largest and fastest-growing communities in the world. Out of the 8,400 B Corps spread across the globe, almost a quarter of these are based in the UK with 2,000 certified businesses. Companies of all shapes, sizes and sectors make up the first 2,000 with household names including Lucky Saint, The Big Issue, FatFace, GiffGaff, The Guardian, Ella’s Kitchen and Emma Bridgewater.
James Ghaffari, Director of Growth & Product at B Lab UK comments: “It’s been brilliant to see the UK B Corp community grow from strength to strength. Reaching 2,000 B Corps in the UK shows that a new type of leadership in our economy is possible. But we know there’s still a long way to go. If we want the UK to continue to be a pioneer in better business, we must keep working together to go further, faster. Speaking on behalf of the B Lab UK team, we can’t wait to see the UK’s growing community of B Corps at Louder Than Words — The B Corp Festival later this year and put these words into action.”
Emma Wellstead, Founding Partner at B Corp Warwick Events comments: “Warwick Events is proud to be one of the first 2,000 B Corps in the UK and the appointed events’ agency for the Louder than Words festival. Expect a programme focused on action rather than words. The Festival will strengthen our community, celebrate diversity and embrace creativity, accelerate connections and debate hot topics. Spread across multiple independent, charity and arts venues, this isn’t going to be your average sustainability event. We hope to see you there.”
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