New B Corp™ Certification Standards – What You Need To Know

This past April, B Lab released a new framework of standards for B Corp Certification™. You may have heard some buzz about it already, and if you’re part of a B Corp™ yourself, you probably have several questions, we did! We’re still navigating the new format and familiarizing ourselves with what’s to come, but in the meantime check out what we’ve found and what we think. 

What Hasn’t Changed

B Corp™ certification has always been about staying accountable to high social and environmental standards as a for-profit company. That focus on balancing people, planet, and profit has not wavered, and B Lab’s new certification standards are only intended to more effectively support that vision. What did change, then? Here are the three main things that are different:

The Impact Topics

Prior to the update, there were 5 total assessment categories, or Impact Topics: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers. Now, there are 7 Impact Topics, in addition to the new “Foundational Requirements” section:

• Purpose & Stakeholder Governance
• Climate Action
• Human Rights
• Fair Work
• Environmental Stewardship & Circularity 
• Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, 
• Government Affairs & Collective Action

To become and remain a Certified B Corporation™, companies will have to meet all Foundational Requirements and the minimum requirements of each Impact Topic. This will help to ensure that all Certified B Corps are doing their part in each category.

The Point System

Previously, each requirement had a point value, with full or partial points available. After going through the entire assessment, your points were totaled and your final score was required to be 80 or above to be certified. However, the new standards have transitioned away from the scoring system. Each requirement will have a yes/no answer format. If the minimum requirements are met within each category, the company may be certified.

Tracked Improvement

The requirement to recertify every 3 years is remaining the same. However, B Corps’ progress after becoming certified will be measured, and is expected to grow. B Corps will have improvement goals at various milestones, and must show impact growth in order to recertify. 

In some ways, these changes feel daunting and almost unattainable. Although, we remember feeling a very similar way when we first started our original Certified B Corporation™ journey, and that turned out beautifully. It’s important to remember that standards and practices that evolve with the future are necessary to stay accountable to our commitment of ethical and sustainable excellence.

What About Recertification Timing?

Now, what about recertification? A flurry of questions come to mind related to this topic, and B Lab has provided some excellent answers and resources already. B Corps certified before the release of the new standards will not be required to recertify under the updated requirements until their original recertification date. They encourage existing B Corps to utilize the Recertification Pathway Tool to best guide their recertification timeline. Additional messaging from B Lab provided answers to some specific, time-sensitive questions related to recertification, and they said more information about recertification is hoped to be shared early 2026. 

What This Means for Small Businesses

B Lab has assured us that each of these changes were based on thousands of pieces of feedback, and are intended to be more relevant to B Corp™ applicants moving forward. They have also stated that the new system of standards is heavily based on company size and industry. This is encouraging because, quite frankly, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for a small digital marketing agency like ArcStone to have the same list of requirements as a large product-based company like the beloved Ben & Jerry’s. We have to trust in the years of listening, research, preparation, and good faith that B Lab put into this new framework. 

How ArcStone Is Approaching the Change

One of our core values at ArcStone is Evolution. Through this principle, we embrace the fact that things are always changing and we must be fluid enough to grow with them. Staff changes, the Covid-19 pandemic, the development of AI, and becoming a Certified B Corporation™ are just a few of the times we’ve had to embrace change as a company and evolve over the years. Through each transition, our guiding principles hold us up and make us an even better version than before, and we are confident that this change will have the same meaningful impact.  

Looking Ahead

These changes may feel daunting, but they’re rooted in progress. With better tools and clearer goals, we can all continue to raise the bar—together.

Learn more about the new standards here: B Lab Certification Performance Requirements