While less than two fifths (38%) of consumers in the UK have currently heard of B Corp certification, awareness of the social and environmental performance standard is increasing, a new study has found.
The UK arm of B Corp conducted research alongside Fors Marsh, in which it surveyed over 2,200 UK adults, and found that 35% of respondents have heard of the terms ‘B Corp’ or ‘Certified B Corporation’, while 24% have seen the B Corp logo before, resulting in an aggregate 38% awareness.
London (53%) boasts the highest awareness of any region in the UK, while in terms of demographics, those in the 30-39 age group (53%) were also most aware of B Corp, followed by 25-29 year olds (48%) and then 40-59 year olds (40%).
According to the study, some 58% of consumers either ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that certifications for business practices help them make decisions about businesses to buy from and work for, with just 11% disagreeing with this statement.
In addition, 73% of people believe that ‘consumers can impact environmental sustainability through their purchases’, while two-thirds (66%) felt the same with regards to creating social change.
B Corp awareness
With regard to B Corp awareness, 41% recalling seeing the logo on a product, 33% on a website or blog, and 30% on social media.
However, there is a prevailing perception that B Corp certification primarily evaluates ‘environmental practices’ (82%) rather than a combination of ‘social and environmental practices’ (48%).
Respondents who are aware of the certification program tend to view B Corp more favourably over time, with 23% feeling more favourable and only 3% feeling less favourable compared to six months prior.
Moreover, a significant majority (71%) of those aware of B Corp agree or strongly agree that the certification is making a positive impact, demonstrating a high level of trust (85%) in the certification process, with only a small minority (11%) perceiving it as not rigorous.
Businesses play a role
“It’s clear we expect business to play a role in creating the world we want to live in, but do they see B Corp as a solution to addressing society’s problems?” commented Hannah Reiss, head of communications at B Corp UK.
“Our role as communicators and advocates of the movement has never been more important. As more businesses join the movement, we unlock new opportunities to reach a broad range of stakeholders, such as customers, clients, workers and investors – accelerating a shift in culture around business.”
Certified B Corporations, often referred to as B Corps, are companies that have undergone rigorous assessment and verification by B Lab to meet stringent standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
Main image taken from B Corporation UK website
