B Corp Certification In a World of Changing ESG Regulation
On 25 March Climate Zero, in partnership with Rewild Agency and Responsible Business Consultants, hosted an event on sustainability reporting and strategy at the beautiful Sanders Place. Panelists for the evening were Tai Lennon from Climate Zero, Abbie Freestone from Rewild Agency and Yvonne Barrett, Founder and Principal of Responsible Business Consultants.
It was a pleasure to host such a thoughtful and engaged group of professionals interested in climate reporting and B Corp certification.
How to set up your organisation to successfully report on ESG
Our discussion highlighted several critical themes shaping how organisations approach sustainability today such as:
Documenting Sustainability Processes
Clear, consistent documentation is essential to support both internal understanding and future reporting. Accounting and finance teams should be briefed and prepared early to align on expectations.
Resourcing and Budgeting
Organisations with prior voluntary reporting experience are typically more prepared. Starting conversations around resources and budget allocation now is essential to ensure readiness.
B Corp Certification
B Corp certification is recognised as a comprehensive, whole-of-business certification that assesses performance across various impact areas (governance, community, customers, suppliers). It emphasises positive impact and provides a framework beyond mere reporting. Anyone working within this framework will be well prepared for government reporting.
Using Tools with Strategic Support
Leveraging carbon calculators and technology tools improves data accuracy and reduces reliance on consultants to focus on emissions calculations and data management. This allows specialists like Abbie Freestone from Rewild or Yvonne from Responsible Business Consultants to focus on strategic initiatives rather than basic data tasks.
Mandatory Reporting & Upskilling
With regulatory requirements approaching, many teams will require significant upskilling. Understanding scope, boundaries, and data inclusion remains a widespread challenge for the simplest and most complex organisations.
Finance-Sustainability Collaboration
Cross-functional teamwork, particularly between finance and sustainability leaders, is vital. Finance teams may need targeted training on frameworks, boundary setting, and data interpretation.
Building Cross-Functional Teams
Effective sustainability efforts involve diverse roles—from finance to procurement to facilities and on-the-ground engaged employees. Clear ownership, defined responsibilities, and purpose-driven data collection are essential for success. Diversity in teams can help to strengthen your approach.
Climate Risk Integration
Beyond metrics and targets, understanding and integrating climate risk into business decisions is becoming increasingly urgent. Climate risks are some of the most critical challenges facing businesses and governments today.
B Corp’s Updated Standards
Released in April 2025, the new standards will have stricter mandatory standards for environmental criteria, particularly around emissions reporting. For more information on the new standards please visit B Lab.
