Achieving the new standards through continuous improvement

The new standards offer a clear roadmap for achieving B Corp Certified status through continuous performance and improvement across seven Impact Topics. Its requirements, designed in a phased approach, guide companies on a journey of continuous improvement that unfolds over the years. 

To achieve initial certification, companies must comply with the Year 0 sub-requirements. Subsequently, they will progressively adopt and comply with the Year 3 and Year 5 sub-requirements. 

To maintain B Corp certification, companies must continually comply with all applicable sub-requirements from the time they become effective. Thus, in Year 3, a company must continue to comply with the Y0 sub-requirements while meeting the Y3 sub-requirements; and in Year 5, it must continue to comply with the Y0 and Y3 sub-requirements while meeting the Y5 sub-requirements. See the image below. 

Each successive phase builds upon the previous one, reinforcing continuous improvement and complete adherence to the new standard’s requirements.