Opencast has announced its certification as a B Corporation (or B Corp), joining a growing movement of companies that are reinventing business for the benefit of all people and our shared planet.
Verified by B Lab, the not-for-profit behind the B Corp movement, the achievement demonstrates that Opencast meets high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability alongside a commitment to goals beyond shareholder value.
The news comes as the ongoing climate crisis and widening social inequality continue to pose urgent challenges to our economy. B Corp Certification assesses the entirety of a business’s operations and covers five main impact areas: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers.
The certification process is rigorous, with companies required to reach a score of 80 points in the B Impact Assessment while providing evidence of responsible practices relating to energy supplies, waste and water use, worker compensation, diversity and corporate transparency. A business must also legally embed their commitment to purpose as well as profit in their company articles.
Opencast is now part of a growing community of more than 8,000 businesses globally that have certified as B Corps. The B Corp community in the UK is one of the largest and fastest growing in the world, with more than 1,700 companies spanning a range of different industries and sizes. Names include The Guardian, Innocent Drinks, Patagonia, Tony’s Chocolonely, The Big Issue, Finisterre, Elemis and Sipsmith Gin.
Opencast is also part of the Better Business Act — a coalition made up of over 2,000 businesses campaigning for a change to the law that would see all companies in the UK align their long-term interests with those of wider society and the environment.
