Old standards (version 1.x)
Companies needed at least 80 points on the B Impact Assessment and recertified every three years. Their profiles show an overall score and scores by category.
What Is a B Corp?
A B Corp is a company that B Lab has verified against its standards for social, environmental and governance performance, and that has written a duty to all stakeholders into its legal structure. It certifies the business as a whole. It says nothing about whether a specific garment's materials or chemistry meet any limit.
What B Corp checks
- The whole operating company, or a complete and distinct subsidiary. A single brand or division can't certify on its own.
- Eligibility: legally incorporated, operating for at least 12 months and following local and national law
- A legal commitment to stakeholder governance, plus a signed Declaration of Interdependence
- A risk assessment that can add due diligence requirements
- Minimum requirements in seven Impact Topics, including Human Rights, Fair Work, Climate Action, and Environmental Stewardship & Circularity
- A climate action plan aligned with limiting warming to 1.5°C, with emissions data and validated science-based targets for larger companies
- An audit by an independent assurance provider approved by B Lab
What B Corp doesn’t cover
- Any single product. B Corp certifies the company, so it doesn't tell you what a garment's fiber, dyes or finishes are.
- Brands outside the certified company. During certification, B Lab confirms which brands can carry the B Corp logo.
- A score, for companies on the new standards. They meet required minimums instead of earning points.
- Every requirement on day one. Companies meet Year 0 requirements to certify and add more by Year 3 and Year 5.
- Perfection. B Lab has said certification doesn't mean a company is perfect or free from mistakes.
Old standards and new standards
B Lab published new standards on April 8, 2025, the biggest update in its history. Some B Corps are still certified on the old version, so you'll see two kinds of profiles.
New standards (version 2.x)
No points. Companies meet minimum requirements in seven Impact Topics, checked by an independent auditor, and the certificate lasts five years. Their profiles show no score.
Phased requirements
On the new standards, companies meet Year 0 requirements to certify, then add more in Year 3 and Year 5. Micro and small companies are audited in Years 0, 3 and 5. Larger companies are likely audited every year.
Rollout dates
Version 2.1 came out in August 2025. Existing B Corps began recertifying on the new standards in January 2026, and new companies could certify on them from March 2026. B Lab announced the first group certified under them on June 16, 2026.
How to check a B Corp certificate
B Lab's public directory, Find a B Corp, is where you can confirm a brand's claim.
- Search the company. Enter the brand or company name. B Corp certifies companies, so the listing may sit under the parent company's name.
- Check the standards version. Each profile shows the version of the standards and when the company was certified. Version 1.x profiles show an overall B Impact Score. Version 2.x profiles show no score, with a summary for each Impact Topic and a risk profile instead.
- Read the details. Profiles list the industry, sector and countries. Profiles on the new standards also show the company track and certification year.
B Corp questions
What does it mean to be a B Corp?
The company has been verified against the B Lab Standards for social, environmental and governance performance, and has committed in its legal structure to weigh all stakeholders. Over 10,800 companies in 102 countries were certified as of June 2026.
Does B Corp mean a brand's clothes are non-toxic?
No. B Corp certifies the business and doesn't apply to individual products. To learn what's in a garment, look for a product certification like OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 or GOTS.
Does B Corp mean sustainable?
It means the company meets B Lab's minimums across seven topics, including Climate Action and Environmental Stewardship & Circularity. It's a company certification, so it doesn't rate any one product.
Is the B Corp 80-point score still used?
Only for companies still certified on the old standards. The new standards replaced point scoring with required minimums in seven Impact Topics, so profiles on them show no score.
Who checks B Corps?
On the new standards, independent assurance providers approved by B Lab audit each company, following requirements based on ISO 17021-1. Under the old model, B Lab's own analysts reviewed the documentation.
How long does B Corp certification last?
Five years on the new standards, with audits in between. Under the old model, companies recertified every three years.