WE’RE B CORP™ CERTIFIED

In 2019 we certified as a B Corp, becoming one of the largest global B Corps. But what does that actually mean? B Corps are businesses that live the highest social and environmental standards for people and the planet. It’s how we’ve always done business. It’s in our DNA. And now we have the stamp to prove it. Discover what it means and what it takes to become a B Corp and Triple Bottom Line business. While you’re reading, please excuse us while we do a quick backflip to celebrate

"Business shapes the world. It is capable of changing society in any way you can imagine."

Dame Anita Roddick

FOUNDER OF THE BODY SHOP

BALANCING PURPOSE AND PROFIT

Dame Anita Roddick wanted to start a new kind of business – one that used business as a force for good. When we certified as a B Corp, The Body Shop amended our governing documents to reflect a Triple Bottom Line business which means that we strive to balance people, planet and profit. A true Triple Bottom Line business doesn’t just measure success in financial terms, but also through ensuring it understands its social and environmental impact, too. This helps challenge the global economic system that actually causes many of these social and environmental problems.

We understand that society’s biggest problems can’t just be solved by governments and non-profits alone. So, B Corps work towards addressing these issues through business – like tackling inequality and poverty and the creation of high-quality jobs.

SO, WHAT IS A B CORP?

A B Corp is a business that meets the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. That’s how we’ve always done business – but now we’ve made it official.

Harnessing the power of business, B Corps use profits and growth to create a positive impact for their employees, communities and the environment. B Corps work together across the globe for reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities and the creation of jobs with dignity and purpose. They want to inspire other companies to join them.

There are currently over 4,700 B Corps in 155 industries and 78 countries across the globe and we’re very proud to be one of the largest Global B Corps.

Women carrying baskets of fruit on their heads

HOW DID WE BECOME A B CORP?

Becoming a B Corp wasn’t easy. It meant having every part of our business looked at through a microscope. The assessment measures a business’s performance in five key categories – governance, workers, customers, community and the environment – using credible, independent and verifiable standards of social and environmental performance.

HERE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE INITIATIVES THAT HELPED US MEET B CORP CERTIFICATION:

ACTIVIST CAMPAIGNING

Our history of engaging customers in our activist campaigns, including Forever Against Animal Testing. We also played a big role in influencing legislation and speaking to lawmakers and stakeholders about this topic to end animal testing in cosmetics worldwide for good.

Refills & Recycling

The Body Shop was the original refills pioneer back in the 70's and today with our large-scale refill stations roll-out, we are back at the forefront of the refill revolution.

The launch of our in-store recycling scheme and the offsetting of energy use in our stores that isn’t green energy

Open hiring

When you remove interviews and background checks in the employment process, you get a fairer and more inclusive hiring practice, providing jobs for people who often get excluded. Open Hiring is a step towards tackling poverty, inequality, and other global challenges. We first introduced Open Hiring as a pilot in 2019 in our North Carolina distribution Centre in the US. Since then, we have expanded the programme to Canada, Australia and the UK.

VOLUNTEERING

We offer our 8,000+ employees across the globe the option to take 3 days a year to volunteer and have a positive impact in their communities in whichever way they choose.

TRAINING AND ENGAGING OUR TEAMS

Training and engaging teams around the world on our B Corp mission and on the importance of being a Triple Bottom Line business.

COMMITMENT

Our commitment to helping empower people and communities around the world through our Community Fair Trade programme. We’ve been sourcing ingredients and accessories from expert producers and artisans in exchange for a fair price for over 30 years.

WHAT’S OUR B CORP SCORE?

Businesses need a score of 80 points or above to achieve B Corp certification. We’re proud to exceed this already high standard but we won’t stop there. We look forward to achieving an even higher score when we re-certify in 2023. You can view our impact assessment here.

B Corp certification is managed by B Lab. B Lab is a non-profit that serves a global movement of entrepreneurs, using the power of business to solve social and environmental issues. Its vision is that all businesses across the globe will measure and manage their impact with the same attention as they do to profit.

To maintain our B Corp certification, we need to continue documenting our positive impact to qualify and undergo re-certification every three years. This involves updating our impact assessment and verifying our updated score.

WHAT OTHER B CORP BRANDS ARE THERE?

We’re proud to be part of the B Corp community that brings together many amazing businesses from around the world. Our parent company Natura &Co certified as a B Corp in 2014 and shortly after The Body Shop qualified, our sister brand Aesop also qualified in 2020.

B corp beauty coalition

In 2022 we took our B Corp status one step further with 25 other leading B Corps around the world to form the B Corp Beauty Coalition. Together we will seek to improve the sustainability standards of the wider beauty industry, enabling collaboration and exchange between companies to share better practices, implement improvement actions and publish their outcomes. It is our hope that this will help beauty customers navigate the category more easily, and that the coalition will influence the beauty industry to make broader changes to improve its social and environmental footprint.