Page 112 - Social Enterprise A New Business Paradigm for Thailand
P. 112

•  Workers: Assesses employee-related practices, including wages, training opportunities, stock
                   ownership by staff, working conditions, employment types (full-time vs part-time), employee

                   benefits, and workplace safety systems.
               •  Community: Evaluates how the company benefits its local and broader communities through
                   inclusive  hiring  practices,  donations,  pro  bono  services,  and  responsible  supply  chain
                   management that ensures legal and ethical compliance among suppliers.
               •  Environment:  Reviews  the  company’s  direct  and  indirect  environmental  impact,  such  as
                   energy and water efficiency, carbon emissions (carbon footprint), and hazardous and non-
                   hazardous waste management practices.
               •  Customers: Focuses on whether the company’s products or services solve social problems or
                   enhance  customer  well-being,  including areas  like  product  quality, feedback  mechanisms,

                   ethical marketing, customer satisfaction tracking, and data privacy.

               After submitting the completed form to B Lab, the company will receive a B Impact Report,
               which presents the score it achieved. If the company scores no less than 80 out of 200, it can
               proceed to the next step: submitting its B Impact Assessment for review to determine eligibility
                                      69
               for B Corp certification.  If the company passes this stage, it then enters the Evaluation phase,
               during which analysts from B Lab Global assess the company’s organizational structure and
               verify the information provided in the B Impact Assessment form. This verification process
               includes direct communication with the company, requests for additional documents and

               evidence, and in-depth questioning. If the company successfully passes the verification stage
               and maintains a score of at least 80 out of 200, it will be deemed to have met the criteria for
               Certified B Corp status.

               Companies that achieve B Corp certification are required to sign a B Corp Agreement with B Lab.
               They  are  then  authorized  to  use  the  B  Corp  logo  on  their  products,  services,  websites,  and
               business  cards. Additionally,  they  must pay  an annual fee  to  maintain  their  certification.  The
               annual fee is based on the company’s revenue, ranging from US$1,000 to US$50,000 per year.
               According  to  B  Lab’s  latest  fee  structure  updated  on  July  1,  2024,  Certified  B  Corps  are  also

               required  to  update  their  B  Impact  Assessment  every  three  years,  with  the  revised  version
                                                                                   70
               submitted six months in advance of the next scheduled reassessment. As of August 2024, nearly
               8,800  companies  across  162  industries  in  97  countries  have  been  certified  as  Certified  B
                             71
               Corporations.  These include several well-known multinational corporations such as Patagonia
               (an environmentally conscious clothing brand), Danone UK, North America and Canada, Unilever


               69  B Corporation, About B Corp Certification: Measuring a company’s entire social and environmental impact,
               Source: https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/certification/, 2024.
               70  B Corporation, About B Corp Certification, op. cit..
               71  Sustainability Magazine, Patagonia, Unilever & Danone: How are B Corps ESG Leaders?, Source:
               https://sustainabilitymag.com/articles/patagonia-unilever-danone-why-are-b-corps-esg-leaders, August 22, 2024.
                                                                                                           79
   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117