Across the globe, a group of visionary corporates is working to reshape the global economic system in favour of equality and sustainability: the B Corp Movement.

We met Mr. Paolo Rossi, an Italian entrepreneur CEO of the Benefit Company and B Corp™ certified PROMOS. He will better explain the meaning of the B Corp certification and its value for societies.

-    Good morning, Mr. Rossi, can you explain us what is PROMOS and what does it do?

-    PROMOS is a Benefit Company certified B Corp specialized in consultancy services to corporations and NGOs in monitoring and evaluation, business modelling, and strategic planning. The team is composed of professionals from different backgrounds, allowing our firm to cover a wide range of topics, such as sustainability, innovation, and corporate responsibility. Further, we received the B Corp certification joining a global movement of companies committed to benefiting society through their impact.

-    Let's talk about B Corp. What is B Corp™ certification and what does it imply?

-    Being a B Corp™ means meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance, corporate responsibility, and transparency, with the ultimate goal of creating an inclusive, fair and regenerative economic paradigm. The idea is enhancing companies’ positive impact making them the driving force of a structural change. This process is established with the final objective of shifting from a shareholders economy to a stakeholder economy. We are here in Albania to meet local businesses and ask local entrepreneurs the question: to B or not to B?

-    You asked the question “To B or not to B?”. What does this question mean, what does it want to convey?

-    The question implies “To be or not to be a B Corp”? From our point of view, this is the question that companies should ask themselves today. Being part of the B Corp movement means driving a positive change while becoming an organizational and performance model for companies around the world. Being a B Corp means valuing sustainability and equality for a better future. This visionary movement is impacting the world so meaningfully that governments are shaping new regulations according to it. Becoming a B Corp means benefitting the community, giving added value to the organization while acquiring a significant reputational advantage and a better positioning on the market.

-    Is the competitive advantage that companies can develop thanks to this path clear, how can companies transform and become B Corp?

-    B Corp certification is issued by B Lab, a non-profit organization that creates standards, policies, and innovative tools to promote positive change. The standards to be certified were developed by the B Lab employing input from countless stakeholders, researchers, and the proven best practices. Each company is evaluated through the B Impact Assessment (BIA), a rigorous process that measures and validates positive impact. Moreover, the certification must be renovated every 3 years to ensure the company is still compliant to the standards.

-    What are the assessment methods used to obtain certification?

Each company is evaluated and receives a score across five impact areas: Workers, Environment, Customers, Community and Governance. If the company reaches at least 80 points out of 200 and positively passes the subsequent audit with the B Lab, it can sign the B Corp Declaration of Interdependence and officially become part of the movement.

-    Why are you in Albania? What is your goal?

-    Our goal is to assist other organizations and business in the achievement of the B Corp certification, thus promoting the process of certification and enlarging the movement. We are in Albania searching for visionary entrepreneurs and companies willing to drive the change. It is challenging, but we strongly support the B Corp movement, and we share its vision and values. To start taking some steps on this path, on Thursday we organized a meeting introducing the B Corp movement with local companies. In particular, we met first group of entrepeneurs owning different business in the field of fashion, construction, medical equipment, accounting services, among others, who showed interest in the topic. Interestingly, few of them already started the process of  Impact Assessment to achieve the certification.