Signal Certified B Corporations up 131% since 2007

Summary

The number of B Corporations worldwide grew by 131% between 2007 and 2024. Certified B Corporations accept modified legal obligations that commit them to higher standards of purpose, accountability and transparency. EY presents them, alongside employee ownership models, as one route for companies to widen their goal from shareholder value to value for a broader set of stakeholders. A B Lab executive quoted by EY argues that the default purpose the system hands most companies is short-term profit maximisation unless they deliberately choose otherwise. A clear purpose statement, he adds, helps a business govern for stakeholders and not only for shareholders.