We are thrilled to share incredible news that fills us with pride and joy. Once again, VISTA has showcased its unwavering commitment to exceptional patient care, innovative services, outstanding business management, and remarkable community contributions. With hearts brimming with excitement, we are elated to announce that VISTA has emerged triumphantly, securing numerous clinical and business awards that position them as a shining beacon among eye specialists. Their pursuit of excellence has gained global recognition, solidifying their status as a distinguished Center of Excellence on an international scale.  VISTA’s achievements have captured the attention of the global medical technology community. Renowned surgeons from around the world have chosen VISTA as a premier destination to witness cutting-edge practices and innovations firsthand. From the United States to Australia, Japan to China, India to Hong Kong, Singapore to the Philippines, and Indonesia to Malaysia, VISTA stands tall as an international hub for brilliance in eye care.  However, VISTA’s journey extends beyond mere accolades. They have etched their mark as a true community champion. Through initiatives like the VISTA Eye Carnival, they have provided free eye screenings since 2010, touching countless lives. Their commitment to giving back shines brightly through fundraising efforts, support for food banks, and the generous offering of free eye surgeries and services to those in need.  VISTA’s spirit of compassion and forward-thinking also embraces the younger generation. They proudly present the “VISTA Youth Challenge” Program, a remarkable platform that empowers youth with real-world experience and project management skills. VISTA has also embarked on a Talent Management program, incorporating Gamification and hands-on experiences to nurture their staff’s growth, creating leaders who will champion the commitment to contribute to UNSDG Goal No. 8—promoting sustainable, inclusive, and robust economic growth, productive employment, and decent work for all.  In recognition of their work in talent development, VISTA has achieved the esteemed The STAR ESG Positive Impact Awards 2022 – Gold Award for Talent Management.  Join us in celebrating this extraordinary journey that has transformed VISTA into more than just a name; it’s a symbol of excellence, compassion, and innovation. Here’s to the luminous path they have paved and to the brilliant future that awaits us all!  Read here  https://www.vista.com.my/   

With growing skepticism surrounding ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) ratings, many investors are turning their attention to Public-Benefit Corporations (PBC). In case you missed it: On August 20th, The Wall Street Journal offered a comprehensive perspective on evaluating the impact of benefit corporations. Mark Berryman, a seasoned expert, emphasized the need for a dual approach.  Investors should assess the financial performance of these stocks, just as they would with any equity investment. Simultaneously, they should dive into the impact metrics generated by PBCs. For a deeper understanding, investors can explore a company’s sustainability score through the B Impact Assessment, which is accessible on B Lab’s website, particularly if the PBC is certified as a B Corporation. This assessment scores companies across five critical impact areas: community, customers, environment, governance, and workers. Read the full article: https://shorturl.at/mBHQ7 

Join Our Expanding Family of Certified B Corp Companies in Southeast Asia, including Cambodia! Step into the world of Song Saa Private Island, where luxury meets serenity, and nature embraces you wholeheartedly. Our island embodies the exquisite beauty of Cambodia’s coastline, meticulously crafted with indigenous materials and infused with boundless artistry and soul.   Escape the cacophony of modern life and immerse yourself in the lap of simple yet extravagant pleasures: our unspoiled private beach, generously appointed wooden villas, heavenly spa sanctuaries, and a thriving coral reef waiting to be explored. The Song Saa Foundation, a non-profit organization, stands as the guardian of the pristine habitats in the Koh Rong Archipelago and beyond, uplifting the communities it touches. They remain steadfast in our commitment to conservation, humanitarian endeavors, and the safeguarding of our precious environment.   From the noble cause of rescuing sea turtles to providing crucial healthcare support and championing local designs, our multifaceted projects in Cambodia are forging a brighter future.  Come join hands with us in preserving ocean habitats, nurturing marine life, and enriching the lives of the local communities. Together, they catalyze lasting change.     🔗 Dive Deeper: Explore their world at www.songsaa.com

Juara Partners, a distinguished financial institution specializing in Shariah-compliant vital lines of credit, debt restructuring, purpose-driven financing, and the promotion of financial literacy, has reached a significant milestone. Their FinTech-enabled approach not only makes their services efficient and user-friendly but also ensures they remain competitive in our rapidly evolving financial landscape.   🇲🇾 Operating from Malaysia, Juara Partners has built a reputation for its strong partnerships with various organizations, particularly in serving communities underserved by conventional banking services.  Furthermore, Juara Partners has garnered recognition, receiving the esteemed The Star ESG 2022 gold award for Human Rights & Labour Standards and the silver award for Business Transformation. These awards highlight Juara Partners’ dedication to positive societal impact and its capacity for adaptability and innovation.  Juara Partners is open to collaborating with like-minded organizations to collectively enhance and expand their initiatives.  🔗 To learn more, visit their website: www.juarapartners.com 

Can you help shape B Lab’s risk standards on the topic? B Lab is launching a public consultation period for risk standards for location-based platforms, relating to companies that operate digital platforms and provide services in which workers must be physically present to perform the job (e.g., ridesharing, food delivery). This risk standard will allow B Lab to get a complete picture of the impact of businesses that operate in this space, assessing any potentially negative impacts on people and the planet. Your voice is important to us. To participate in this public consultation period, review the content and share your feedback in the survey bit.ly/3NEliSL

As the global environmental crisis escalates, an increasing number of companies are recognizing the urgent need to prioritize the planet as a key stakeholder in their business operations. Among the trailblazers, Certified B Corporations (B Corps) are at the forefront of this transformative mindset. These socially and environmentally responsible businesses have been adopting innovative strategies to place the well-being of the planet at the center of their decision-making processes. In this article, we explore some inspiring examples of how B Corps are leading the charge by putting the planet first. 1. Willicroft: Appointing “Mother Nature” as Chief Executive In 2020, the Netherlands-based plant-based cheese company, Willicroft, made a profound statement by appointing “Mother Nature” as its chief executive. This symbolic move demonstrated the company’s unwavering commitment to prioritizing the planet above all else. With this appointment, every single decision made by Willicroft is now geared towards fostering environmental sustainability. By embodying the spirit of Mother Nature, the company seeks to align its operations with ecological harmony and resilience. 2. Patagonia: Earth as the Sole Stakeholder In 2022, the renowned B Corp, Patagonia, took a revolutionary step towards combatting climate change and preserving undeveloped land. The company made a bold declaration by designating Earth as its sole stakeholder, ensuring that all future profits are invested exclusively in environmental initiatives. This groundbreaking approach seeks to address urgent global challenges while rejecting traditional profit-driven models. Patagonia’s commitment to serving the planet before all else has garnered widespread recognition and inspired others to rethink their business priorities. 3. Faith In Nature: Giving Nature a Voice  B Corp Faith In Nature embraced a groundbreaking governance structure by appointing two external board members to represent nature’s interests. These two directors, affiliated with environmental organizations Earth Law Centre and Lawyers for Nature, have been granted the authority to advocate for nature and participate in the decision-making processes of the company. This innovative approach ensures that environmental considerations play a central role in shaping Faith In Nature’s strategies and operations.  Certified B Corporations are at the forefront of a paradigm shift in business practices, recognizing the planet as a vital stakeholder and aligning their operations with the imperative of environmental sustainability. Examples such as Willicroft, Patagonia, and Faith In Nature showcase the diverse ways in which B Corps are leading by example, prioritizing the planet above short-term profits and taking meaningful steps to combat the environmental crisis. As these companies continue to evolve, they inspire others to join the movement and work collectively towards a more sustainable and harmonious future for our planet. Read the full article from BBC News here 👉 https://bbc.in/3rIlYhL 

By B Lab Global Friday, 19 June 2023 SINGAPORE, 19 June 2023 — Non-profits B Lab Global and the Centre for Impact Investing and Practices (CIIP), today announced the intent to collaborate on establishing the B Lab & CIIP Centre of Excellence for Asia (the “Centre”). Both organizations recognize the central role of businesses to transform the global economic system and achieve a positive impact for all people, communities, and the planet. Together, they will work to accelerate the growth of the B Corporation (B Corp) movement across companies in Asia, mainstreaming a stakeholder model of governance. “The economy across Asia is a significant contributor to the global economy; it is shaping the next phase of globalization. We want to use this momentum to further catalyze the movement of business as a force for good,” said Eleanor Allen, Lead Executive at B Lab Global. “Working with our country partners in the region, B Lab Global is excited to begin this partnership with CIIP to expand the reach of our globally applicable standards, strengthen our economic systems change work whilst supporting the growth of B Corps across Asia, and provide education and training for all businesses.” “CIIP is aligned with B Lab’s mission to spur businesses as a force for good, and we’re delighted to partner with B Lab to scale the B Corp movement in Asia,” said Dawn Chan, CEO, of CIIP. “The Centre will work to ensure the relevance of B Lab’s standards to Asian markets and will build on the combined expertise of B Lab and CIIP in fostering shared knowledge, nurturing a connected community, and catalyzing collective positive actions. It will be the go-to organization for companies that aspire to meet high and rigorous standards of verified social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.”  Shared ambition and expertise With more than 6,900 Certified B Corps across 91 countries, B Lab brings expertise in economic systems change and creates standards, policies, tools, and programs that shift the behavior, culture, and structural underpinnings of capitalism. By harnessing the power of business, B Lab positively impacts companies around the world, helping them balance profit with purpose, and mobilizes the B Corp community towards collective action to address society’s most critical challenges. CIIP was established as a non-profit entity by Temasek Trust, the philanthropic arm of Temasek, and advances impact investing and practices through building knowledge assets, convening stakeholders, and catalyzing collective positive actions. CIIP is the Asia anchor partner of SDG Impact, the United Nations Development Programme initiative tasked to develop resources that accelerate investments toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Based in Singapore, the Centre will focus on supporting the growth of purpose-driven, responsible, and resilient businesses in Asia with training and professional accreditation programs using B Lab Global’s standards for B Corp Certification, as well as developing research and sharing insights on stakeholder-focused business models, including B Corp practices, for Asian companies. As a first step, representatives from B Lab Global will be stationed in Singapore to coordinate the Centre’s establishment, engage companies in the region through workshops and other events, and gather input from companies to inform the new B Corp Standards. Training and professional accreditation programs using B Lab’s standards The Centre will institute new programs and an official B Lab Global curriculum based on the standards for B Corp Certification to develop the capacity of companies and individuals in Asia and beyond. This includes developing gradated, step-by-step programs and collaborating with academic institutions to support enterprises on their impact journeys. A program will also be developed to accredit professionals, i.e. B Consultants, to support companies as they embark on incorporating responsible business practices and progress along the pathway to achieve B Corp Certification. Thought and practice leadership in stakeholder governance and models of capitalism Leveraging data from the existing Certified B Corp community globally, as well as B Impact Assessment users (200,000+ companies), the Centre will work in partnership with data analysts at B Lab Global to guide research and share knowledge on stakeholder models of governance, and evidence of the benefits of stakeholder governance in building purpose-driven, profitable, responsible, and resilient businesses. Such insights would be made accessible to interested companies to empower them in their journey for greater positive impact, as well as to the wider ecosystem of tri-sector organizations (public, private, and civil society) to foster dialogue and enable greater influence for economic systems change towards stakeholder governance.  Accelerating the growth of the Certified B Corp community in Asia In catalyzing a broader movement of using business as a force for good, the Centre will collaborate with the B Lab Global Standards Management team to ensure that the standards are relevant to Asian markets. This will enable B Lab Global’s products and services to be game-changing, inspiring, and inclusive to the Asian market and a global context. The Centre will play a strong advocacy role in the region to raise the profile of B Lab’s offerings and drive adoption of the standards for B Corp Certification. Regional engagement and development Working in partnership with B Lab Global’s partners in Asia, the Centre will collectively support the growth of the B Corp movement by engaging companies in Asia operating across multiple jurisdictions, driving adoption of B Lab Global’s standards, and providing support to companies on their pathways to B Corp Certification.    About the Centre for Impact Investing and Practices (CIIP): The Centre for Impact Investing and Practices (“CIIP”) was established in 2022 as a non-profit entity by Temasek Trust to foster impact investing and practices in Asia and beyond. CIIP is the Asia anchor partner of SDG Impact, the United Nations Development Programme initiative tasked to develop resources that accelerate investments towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”) by 2030. Through this partnership, Asia investors and businesses are provided with clarity, insights, and tools that support their contributions toward achieving the SDGs. Temasek and ABC Impact are CIIP’s strategic partners. For more information, please visit www.ciip.com.sg. About B Lab Global: B

Friday, 19 May 2023 Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Telegram Linkedin Johan Rozali-Wathooth said Bintang aspires to create at least 150 new B Corps in Asean within its portfolio of companies by 2050 KUALA LUMPUR: Bintang Capital Partners Bhd has become the first private equity firm in Southeast Asia to earn B Corp certification. In a statement, the company said the B Corp Certification, administered by global non-profit B Lab, recognises businesses that meet high standards of verified performance, accountability and transparency on factors ranging from employee benefits and charitable giving, to supply chain practices and using responsible input materials. “This achievement not only demonstrates our commitment to responsible business practices but also serves as an inspiration for our Partner Companies. “We aspire to guide and support them on their quests to become Certified B Corps,” said Bintang founder and chief executive Johan Rozali-Wathooth. He added that Bintang aspires to create at least 150 new B Corps in Asean within its portfolio of companies by 2050. To earn its certification, Bintang completed the comprehensive B Impact Assessment, evaluating the firm’s practices and performance across five impact areas: workers, communities, customers, suppliers and the environment. This process involved rigorous assessments and verifications, engaging every member of the firm, and spanning approximately one year. As part of the certification process, Bintang amended its constitution to embrace stakeholder governance to ensure the firm’s accountability extends to all stakeholders, including workers, communities, customers, suppliers and the environment. Bintang said its comprehensive Responsible and Sustainable Investment Policy further reinforces the incorporation of environmental, social, governance (ESG) as well as impact considerations into all aspects of its business operations, including the investment process.

CLIMATE & NATURESOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY Share Facebook Twitter Linkedin Envelope Save Sarah George Published 18th May 2023 B Lab has this week revealed what more than 1,000 businesses think about its new draft standards, which were consulted on late last year. It has confirmed that the vast majority of both certified (86%) and uncertified (87%) businesses believe the standards to be high enough to enable members to make “meaningful progress” on social and environmental issues. A key change will be the way in which businesses can score points on the B Impact Assessment. The Assessment asks respondents to provide in-depth information on how their organisation supports workers; benefits the local community; manages its environmental impact and betters the lives of customers. There is also a section on good governance. At present, organisations can score many points in some categories but few in others, and still certify. B Lab calls this a “flexible” scoring mechanism. It is set to implement a more “fixed” approach, whereby organisations will have to score highly across a range of core topics to certify. To ensure that companies meet these new requirements, B Lab is preparing to publish more guidance on engaging not only the businesses, but their key stakeholders, in the assessment process. B Lab’s survey found that more than seven in ten businesses support new, more clearer scoring requirements. The B Corp movement came under much scrutiny last year as larger companies began to certify in the lead-up to the launch of an assessment for multinationals. Small, purpose-led brands questioned why companies with a historically high negative environmental impact, like Nestle’s Nespresso or multiple Danone-owned businesses, were able to pass the Assessment. Another cause for concern was BrewDog leaving the B Corp movement in December 2022. It is still unclear whether the brewer voluntarily stepped aside or was stripped of its status, after a BBC documentary uncovered allegations of abuse of power. BrewDog was also criticised last year for its approach to forest restoration in Scotland. Locals accused the firm of driving up land prices and limiting public access. “It’s important that the standards enable businesses to achieve meaningful progress towards a more inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy while remaining within reach for all kinds of businesses across the globe,” said B Lab Global’s director of standards Judy Rodrigues. A second draft is due out this summer, with moer information on which topics will be considered ‘core’. From there, a second consultation will be held. The aim is to have the standards ready for a final review in late 2023 and implementation in 2024. Related audio feature: Avon and Seismic on becoming a B Corp

Adapting and advancing performance requirements through community and stakeholder feedback. In December 2020, B Lab announced a review of the performance requirements for B Corp Certification. This was initiated in response to community and stakeholder feedback regarding evolving conceptions of leadership in social and environmental performance. While significant improvements have been made to our certification standards since B Lab began in 2006, the core aspects of the B Impact Assessment have remained consistent — including the fact that the certification is rooted in a company achieving an overall verified score of 80 through a flexible range of practices and attributes. This approach has been tremendously valuable and impactful in the first 15 years of this movement, yet it has also demonstrated its limitations and challenges. We see this as an opportunity to ask big questions about how our current performance requirements meet the needs of the moment, and how we can optimize the B Corp movement for the future. Our objective is to adapt and advance our performance requirements in a way that meaningfully demonstrates the leadership role that B Corps and the B Corp movement should play in the world. In updating these core components of B Corp Certification, we must be accountable to ongoing issues of global importance, such as the climate emergency; the urgent international movement for social justice, reduced inequalities, and racial equity; ongoing public health and economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic; economic inequity driven by shareholder primacy; and the intersecting ways in which these global challenges compound one another. Our improved performance requirements will enable B Corp Certification to become a stronger driver of an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. In December 2020, B Lab announced a review of its standards for B Corp Certification. The aim was to understand whether more specific and mandatory performance requirements on important social and environmental topics could ensure that B Corp Certification continues to differentiate leading companies using business as a force for good. In September 2022, B Lab launched the preliminary consultation period followed by detailed draft development, including various iterations and deeper engagement with key experts and stakeholders on the topics being developed, as well as our Regional Standards Advisory Groups and Standards Advisory Council. Overall the consultation saw participation from more than 1,000 individuals globally, representing a cross-section of geographies, company profiles, and stakeholder types. In May 2023, we are now ready to share the Preliminary Consultation Summary Report, providing an overview of the September-November 2022 preliminary consultation results and highlighting the potential ways that prevalent feedback could be addressed in the next draft of the standards for B Corp Certification. In late 2023, a second public consultation will take place, allowing all interested stakeholders to provide final feedback on the standards to confirm whether there are substantial concerns that require further development, or whether a ‘public mandate’ has been demonstrated for them. Future updates will be shared below. For more information, please review these Frequently Asked Questions, as well as our previous announcements: A call for feedback on the draft of the new standards for B Corp Certification (23 September 2022) Update on the Future of the B Corp Certification Performance Requirements (23 February 2022) B Corp Performance Requirements Review updates: B Lab expands Regional Standards Advisory Groups, launches next round of community engagement, and updated project timeline (15 September 2021)  Performance Requirements Review Update: Survey Results and Next Steps (21 April 2021) Call for Input on B Corp Certification Performance Requirements (2 December 2020) Update on the timeline: A previous version of this page shared alternative timelines around the implementation of the new standards. B Lab continues to develop the rollout and transition timeline for the new standards, including improved digital experiences and certification processes. We have shifted testing of the new standards and are currently preparing for our second public consultation later this year. Read the Preliminary Consultation Summary report In September 2022, we shared the first draft of the new standards for B Corp Certification after engaging with stakeholders globally. Over the following two month consultation period, we heard your valued feedback. Read our Preliminary Consultation Summary Report, which collates and summarizes this feedback, and identifies ways to address it in the next draft of the standards for B Corp Certification. Explore the Report