While originally founded in the United States, today B Lab is a global network. B Lab Global is the entity that is the hub of the network and certifies companies as B Corps. The B Lab network also includes dozens of B Lab organizations at the country and regional levels. They support their community of B Corps, bring companies into the certification pipeline, and develop local programming to support the movement towards economic systems change based on stakeholder governance (i.e., a B Corp).
In order to earn B Corp certification, companies must achieve a score of 80 or higher out of 200 based on 5 criteria - governance, workers' rights, community impact, environmental impact and "stewardship of its customers". Once a company passes the B Lab's "Impact Assessment", it must then pay an annual fee which is based on its location and gross annual revenue.[5]
As of December 2023, there are now over 7,600 B Corps in 84 countries and 157 industries.[6] With its rigorous standards, B Corp certification can enhance a company's reputation, as well as attract socially and environmentally conscious customers.[7] Because of this, the waiting list for assessment can be up to two years.[8]
In addition to awarding B Corporation certifications to companies that score high enough on the B Impact Assessment, B Lab’s initiatives include administration of the B Impact Management programs and software, as well as advocacy for the adoption and improvement of benefit corporation statutes at the state level. (The B Corporation certification should not be confused with state-sanctioned benefit corporation status.)
B Lab has attracted media attention to the concept of benefit corporations.[4][9][10][11][12] Some people confuse the concepts of a benefit corporation and a B Corporation, and sometimes use these phrases as if they are interchangeable even though they are very different legally.[13]
B Lab has established a partnership with the United Nations to help the private sector translate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) into practical business processes. B Lab created an SDG Action Manager that became available for companies to use in 2020.[14]