SunCommon goes B Corp
Good news!!
We’re excited to share that SunCommon is the most recent Certified B Corporation, joining 530 other values-led businesses from over 60 industries nationwide — and just the 9th in Vermont.
So what’s a B Corp, anyway?
The B Corporation idea came about to address some critical issues within business. Current corporate law makes it difficult for businesses to take into consideration the needs of their employees, the communities in which they operate and the habitats that sustain them. And the lack of transparent standards makes it difficult to tell the difference between a “values-led” business and just “green-washing.” B Corporation performance standards enable consumers to support businesses that align with their values. Like LEED is for buildings and organic is for food, B Corporation certification for a business tells consumers that rigorous standards have been met and that we’re actually walking the talk.
What’s the diff?
The performance standards are comprehensive and transparent. They measure a company’s impact on its employees, suppliers, community, and the environment. The process to become certified is no joke – they don’t miss a beat! Yet, while the process is rigorous, the B Corporation provides us with invaluable resources that will allow us to meet the high standards and expectations we have laid out for our employees, our customers and ourselves.
For example, with B Corp’s encouragement – SunCommon will create procurement standards that drive our purchasing to local, sustainably produced goods and services so our dollars support other businesses and practices that reflect our values. We’re creating a carpool policy that encourages our employees to leave their cars at home. Lots of little things that contribute to our internal culture while doing our bit externally. And we’ll set expectations for our partners and suppliers, ensuring that they too are upholding the social and environmental standards that we believe are so critically important.
SunCommon’s Solar Goddess Charity Carbine, a dedicated advocate of environmental social justice, is guiding these efforts.
This B Corp stuff is an exciting new movement, providing rigor to businesses like ours seeking to do the right thing. And as more and more businesses become Certified B Corporations, that label will be more and more meaningful to consumers and then desirable by businesses. Let’s do this.
Read more about it at www.bcorporation.net
