New Belgium Brewing announced that it is now a Certified B Corp. The B Corp designation is reserved for companies that are committed to meeting high standards of social and environmental performance and accountability. B Lab, which is a nonprofit organization working to redefine success in business, certifies and supports B Corporations.
New Belgium helped lobby for the Colorado legislation, which gives companies the freedom and protection to consider the triple bottom line. Cool concept.
This designation comes just months after New Belgium transitioned to a 100 percent employee-owned model, which puts the brewery on a path to control its destiny.
“Becoming a B Corp allows New Belgium to carry our vision into the future,” said Bryan Simpson, spokesperson for New Belgium Brewing. “B Lab and the community of Certified B Corporations are aligned with our long-standing belief that our stakeholders include not just shareholders, but the environment and our community. This designation is even more powerful now that Colorado has enacted benefit corporation legislation.”
B Corps are held to performance standards that are comprehensive and transparent, measuring a company’s impact on workers, suppliers, communities and the environment. Unlike traditional corporations, Certified B Corporations are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions not only on their shareholders, but also on their stakeholders.
New Belgium helped lobby for the Colorado legislation, which gives companies the freedom and protection to consider the triple bottom line. The community of Certified B Corps has worked to pass similar legislation in 14 states and the District of Columbia.
New Belgium joins 748 Certified B Corporations from 27 countries, covering 60 industries.
