FuturePlus vs B Corp Certification

Mar 8

For every sustainable business, staying accountable is key. There’s an understanding that there are more ways to better your climate impact, and you must stay vigilant in seeking out these new solutions.

However, navigating the daunting path of creating an eco-friendly business will nearly always involve headaches and frustration, especially when you’re doing so alone. And in the day and age of excessive greenwashing, it’s even harder for consumers to trust brands that claim to be environmentally ethical.

Organisations like B Corp and FuturePlus are well aware of this minefield of misinformation which is why they champion transparency and commitment. They are calling out to brands that really want to make a difference and are inviting you into a community of trailblazers and environmental warriors.

Sounds pretty great, right? Well, if you’re considering which may serve as the right fit for your business, then allow us to lead the way…

FuturePlus

The breakdown:

Every business is eligible to sign on.
Your sustainability is measured with an overall score, and an ambition score.
A bespoke climate strategy is created for your business to help you meet your goals
Flexible pricing strategy determined by the size of your business.

FuturePlus was founded by Alex Smith and Mike Penrose, the creators of The Sustainability Group, with a mission to make sustainability accessible and achievable for every business. FuturePlus isn’t simply a stamp of approval, it is an ongoing commitment that will help you track goals 3 years in advance and manage your progress alongside the UN’s blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future.

Once signed on, FuturePlus will provide your business with a sustainability score, a bespoke roadmap, and a quantifiable measure of where you want to be in 3 years. This is also a hassle-free way to ensure complete transparency with your employees and stakeholders.

This comes with a monthly cost that’s dependent on the size of your business, and there’s also a minimum contract length of 1 year. To get started you can book a demo to understand whether this will be the right fit for you.

B Corp

The breakdown:

Only businesses with a sustainability score of 80+ are eligible.
You’ll join a prestigious community of over 6,000 B Corp brands globally
Your business will be listed publicly within their own directory.
Flexible pricing strategy determined by the size of your business.

B Corp was founded by 3 friends Jay Coen Gilbert, Bart Houlahan, and Andrew Kassoy in 2006, they each shared a vision that business should be a force for good. It has grown to become an organisation that is recognised globally, with over 6,000 B Corp businesses worldwide impacting 159 industries, 89 countries, and 520,000 workers.

To be a B Corp is to meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. And to be verified by B Lab involves a free assessment of your business, with certification only being offered to those who achieve over 80 points.

Once you’re verified by B Lab you can then sign onto B Corp, and this cost is also dependent on your business size.

Being a B Corp means having access to a supportive community platform called the B Hive and you’re kept accountable by publicly listing your impact score and recertifying with B Lab every 3 years.

It’s an intense process, but one that will reward you with an incredible accreditation for your business.

So, which could be right for you?

There is something great to be said about both organisations. B Corp is globally recognised and a well-respected organisation, whereas FuturePlus is much newer and has a smaller community of brands.

However, if you’re seeking accreditation for the hard work your business has already done to be socially and environmentally ethical, then B Corp will be a better fit. If you’re looking more so for guidance on improving and developing your sustainability commitments, then FuturePlus is the way to go.

Whichever you choose, we’d like to applaud you for creating a business that is purpose-led.