Strong growth in Belgian B Corp-certified companies

B Corp certification is a label for commercial companies committed to achieving a set of social, environmental, good governance and transparency objectives. This American certification, awarded by the non-profit B Lab since 2006, is considered one of the most difficult to obtain.

To qualify for the label, companies must answer a number of questions depending on their sector of activity, and back them up with concrete justification. The first, operational part, focuses on the way in which the company manages well-being in the workplace, training and the remuneration policy, for example. The second part focuses on the positive impacts of the company's business model.

In Belgium, Revive was the first company to obtain B Corp certification in 2012. At the time, it was the first property developer in the world to be awarded this label. At the end of 2020, only 17 Belgian companies had obtained this sustainability and societal impact "passport". The movement has accelerated since then, as by the end of 2022, there were around 50 companies, and by the end of 2024, there will be over 100 in the country, out of the 9,300 certified companies worldwide.

Belgian B Corp-certified companies are active in all sectors, including industry, property, energy, agriculture and even sport, with Union Saint-Gilloise football club. Some Belgian companies are pioneers in certain sectors, such as the Fontenoy sugar refinery.

The credo of a growing number of Belgian entrepreneurs is to better combine economic growth with social and environmental commitment.