The B Lab standard for B Corporation certification was rewritten in 2023, with the new requirements taking effect for all recertifications from 2024 onward. The change was the largest single update to B Corp standards since the certification's launch. It mattered, and it caused some discomfort among existing B Corps.
This is what changed, why it matters, and what it means for the UK B Corp community as the recertification cycle works through the existing certified base.
What the New Standard Requires
The 2023 standard update introduced new categories of mandatory requirement ("foundation requirements") that all certified B Corps must meet, in addition to the existing scored sections. Previously, the certification was scoring-based — sufficient total score earned certification. Under the new standard, foundation requirements are pass-or-fail. Failing any one of them means no certification, regardless of total score.
The foundation requirements:
- Purpose and stakeholder governance. Legal protection of stakeholder interests (in the UK, this means stakeholder-responsible company resolutions or constitution updates).
- Climate action. Documented climate commitments aligned with the Paris 1.5°C pathway.
- Human rights. Documented due diligence on human rights across operations and supply chain.
- Fair work. Living wage commitments, freedom of association protection, equitable workplace policies.
- Environmental stewardship. Documented environmental management practices.
- Circular economy and just transition. Documented practice on circular product design and just-transition workforce policies.
The change shifts B Corp from a "how much good are you doing" framework to a "meet these floors first, then how much good are you doing" framework. The floors are higher than the previous threshold for certification.
Why It Caused Discomfort
The B Corp community is large and varied. Some companies certified in the early years of the standard with practices that would not meet the new foundation requirements. The recertification cycle has therefore included companies losing certification because they cannot — or will not — uplift practice to meet the new floors.
This is the system working as intended. The criticism of B Corp certification through the late 2010s was that the bar was too low and the certification too readily granted. The 2023 update is the response. The discomfort is the price of the standard tightening.
Some companies have publicly criticised the changes. The criticism falls into three categories:
1. "The Bar Was Already Hard Enough"
Some smaller B Corps argue that meeting the new foundation requirements is operationally significant work that small businesses can't easily absorb. This is true in many cases. The B Lab response is that the foundation requirements represent the practice expected of a credible certified B Corp — if a company can't meet them, the certification isn't appropriate.
2. "Some Requirements Are Vague"
Some of the new requirements (particularly around circular economy and just transition) involve practice areas where standards are still developing. Documentation requirements can be ambiguous in these areas. B Lab is updating guidance materials.
3. "This Is a Money Grab"
A minority criticism: the changes are a pretext for additional certification fees. This isn't supported by the fee structure (fees were not changed) but reflects a broader skepticism of B Lab as an organisation.
Why It's the Right Direction
The case for the 2023 update, despite the discomfort:
1. The Credibility of the Certification Required It
External criticism of B Corp had been mounting: certified companies whose practices didn't match the implied promise of the badge, vague standards that let in companies with questionable behaviour, lack of follow-through when certified companies were criticised for specific practices. The 2023 update addresses all three.
2. Climate Standards Specifically Needed Hardening
Pre-2023, climate practice was scored but not mandatory. Companies could be certified with weak climate commitments if they scored well elsewhere. This is no longer credible. The mandatory climate requirement aligns the certification with what "credible business sustainability" has to mean in the current decade.
3. Stakeholder Governance Was the Missing Foundation
B Corp has always been distinguished by its stakeholder governance requirements. Pre-2023, the legal documentation of stakeholder responsibility was scored but not universally mandated. Some certified B Corps had no legal commitment beyond their voluntary scoring participation. The 2023 update closes that gap.
4. The Standard Has to Move
Standards that don't tighten over time become trailing-edge rather than leading-edge. Without tightening, the certification would become an increasingly common badge with decreasingly distinctive content. The 2023 update preserves the certification's meaning.
What This Means for UK B Corps
The UK B Corp community is working through the new standard across the recertification cycle. Three patterns emerging:
Pattern 1: Major Uplift Among Mid-Sized B Corps
Mid-sized UK B Corps are doing the most additional work to meet the new standard. Several have made significant operational changes — climate strategy formalisation, supplier code of conduct strengthening, governance restructuring — specifically to meet the foundation requirements.
Pattern 2: Departures Among Companies That Won't Uplift
A small but visible number of UK B Corps have allowed their certification to lapse rather than meet the new requirements. The reasons vary: some genuinely can't afford the operational lift, some philosophically disagree with the new direction, some have been bought by parent companies whose practice is incompatible.
Pattern 3: New Certifications Held to the Higher Bar From Day One
Companies certifying for the first time under the new standard are designing their practice around the new requirements. The new cohort generally meets the foundation requirements as a baseline rather than retrofitting later.
What KeepCup Did
KeepCup's recertification under the new standard required:
- Climate commitment formalisation aligned to Paris 1.5°C pathway.
- Constitution update to reinforce stakeholder governance.
- Supplier code of conduct strengthening with documented diligence processes.
- Circular economy practice documentation (the modular replacement parts program was a natural fit — KeepCup products are tested to 1,000 uses and the modular parts ecosystem extends service life further).
- Just transition framework documentation for the workforce.
The recertification ran across many months and required substantial cross-functional effort. The result: continued certification with a stronger underlying practice than we had before. This is what the system is supposed to produce.
What B Corp Certification Will Mean Over Time
The 2023 update is one of several reforms B Lab has signalled. Likely future direction:
- Industry-specific standards. Deeper requirements for high-impact industries (finance, fashion, food, manufacturing) overlaid on the core foundation requirements.
- Stakeholder voice formalisation. Required structures for stakeholder input into business decisions, beyond current governance documentation.
- Verified impact at scale. Independent verification of impact claims, not just process verification.
- Regulatory convergence. Closer alignment between B Corp practice and emerging regulatory requirements (climate disclosure, modern slavery, equality).
The certification is moving from "voluntary good behaviour" toward "verified competent business practice in line with current standards." This is the right direction for a standard that wants to remain relevant.
The Bigger Frame
B Corp certification is not perfect. It's a third-party voluntary standard, with all the limitations that implies. It has critics, some fair and some unfair. It is also — in the current UK and global landscape — the strongest available standard for verifying business sustainability claims.
The 2023 update tightened the standard, made certification harder, caused some certified companies discomfort, and improved the credibility of the entire framework. The discomfort is evidence the standard is working.
For UK customers evaluating sustainability claims, B Corp certification — particularly under the 2023 standard — remains the strongest single shorthand for verified credible practice.
FAQs
What changed in the B Corp standard in 2023?
New mandatory foundation requirements were introduced: purpose and stakeholder governance, climate action, human rights, fair work, environmental stewardship, and circular economy and just transition. All B Corps must meet all of them, pass-or-fail.
Why did B Lab tighten the standard?
To address external criticism that the certification was too easily granted and to ensure the standard moves with the evolving expectations of credible business sustainability. The mandatory climate requirement was particularly overdue.
Will some companies lose certification?
Yes — the recertification cycle is including companies that cannot or will not meet the new requirements. This is the system working as intended.
Did KeepCup recertify under the new standard?
Yes. The process required substantial operational work and resulted in stronger underlying practice than before.
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