The new version of the B Corp Standards represents the most significant overall in the certification’s 20-year history. Our survey reveals that just 8% of respondents demonstrated a high degree of alignment with the seven Impact Topics that are central to the new requirements.
While B Corp certification is an exciting prospect for businesses wanting to join a global movement working to benefit people and the planet, those at the start of their B Corp journey may also be wondering how much groundwork is required to meet the strict new certification standards introduced in 2025. In a recent B Corp Readiness survey, we asked more than 60 respondents to answer a series of questions designed to test their alignment with the seven Impact Topics that underpin the new standards.
The results showed that just 8% of businesses demonstrated a high degree of alignment across the topics of Climate Action, Purpose & Stakeholder Governance, Environmental Stewardship & Circularity, Human Rights, Fair Work, Government Affairs & Collective Action and Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion. Most businesses (55%) fell into the low alignment category, while 37% demonstrated medium alignment.
According to our sustainability consultant Lei Anne Rabeje, the results are unsurprising. “The latest evolution in the B Corp Standards represents the most significant overall in the movement’s 20-year history,” said Lei. “The changes raise the bar of the B Corp movement and are a powerful response to increasing regulatory complexity, growing societal inequality and an intensifying climate crisis.”
Critically, the new B Corp standards require businesses to demonstrate non-negotiable, evidence-based requirements across the seven Impact Topics. The framework is designed to ensure that high performance in one area cannot be used to compensate for poor performance in another area.
According to our survey results, alignment varied notably across the seven Impact Topics. Respondents performed strongest in Purpose & Stakeholder Governance and Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, where 27% and 37% respectively achieved high alignment. In contrast, Climate Action and Government Affairs & Collective Action proved the most challenging, with 78% and 69% of respondents respectively scoring low alignment in these areas.
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“Bringing business practices in line with the B Corp standards across the seven Impact Topics requires intention, strategy, accountability and commitment to a process lasting six to eight months” said Lei. “If you are ready to start your journey to become certified with the new B Corp Standards, please contact us now”.
Not sure where to start? Why not try our B Corp Readiness Assessment. It's free and takes just five minutes. Upon completion, you will receive a bespoke gap analysis that you can use to start your journey to B Corp certification.
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