B Lab Says the New B Corp Standards Are Its Biggest Shift in 18 Years

B Lab’s new B Corp standards mark a stricter, credibility first reset for corporate responsibility certification, with the nonprofit moving away from a points game and toward mandatory minimum requirements across the full framework. This shift, announced earlier in 2025, is positioned as a direct response to rising criticism of inconsistent practices and the perception that the badge has become easier to ‘earn’ without meaningful, balanced performance.

Why The Standards Are Changing

B Lab is reframing certification around non negotiable baselines rather than score optimization. The updated model replaces the prior approach, where companies could hit a threshold score and offset weak areas with stronger ones, with minimum benchmarks across seven impact areas, so failure in any single pillar can disqualify an applicant even if other categories look strong.

It is also a scale story. B Corp now counts over 10,000 certified companies across nearly 100 countries, spanning a workforce reported at more than 1 million. That growth has brought scrutiny, including high profile examples of smaller brands stepping away from recertification on the grounds that large corporations with contested practices weaken the signal.

What The New Framework Requires

The new standards introduce mandatory benchmarks across seven pillars, including climate action, human rights, and fair work. On climate, companies will be expected to adopt plans aligned with the 1.5°C global warming target, while supply chain expectations rise through deeper due diligence, particularly for large multinationals.

The update is the result of long consultation. The process is expected to take about four years, collecting 26,000 pieces of feedback across 67 countries, and the goal is to protect the integrity of the certification by ensuring companies prioritize people and the planet alongside profit.

Verification And Timelines

Another key change is oversight. The new model introduces independent verification, with applications moving toward third party audits by accredited bodies rather than in house assessment alone. That brings the process closer to compliance style scrutiny, a notable step for a badge often used in marketing and corporate communications.

The transition is gradual. Existing B Corps will be required to meet the new standards during their 3 year recertification cycles, and the framework adds escalating requirements at the 3 and 5 year marks to enforce continuous improvement rather than a one time achievement.

Conclusion

In practice, this raises the operational bar and narrows the room for ‘good at one thing’ profiles. It also lands amid a tougher regulatory mood on green claims, with the EU’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition directive referenced as part of the broader push for clearer, supportable sustainability messaging.

For brand operators, the headline is simple: B Corp is trying to make the label harder to win, easier to trust, and more comparable across companies of very different sizes.