B Corp Lab UK has confirmed there are now 2,000 companies in the UK that have achieved a B Corp Certification.

In an update today, the UK arm of the certification body said the number of B Corps across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland had doubled in just 18 months.

Of the UK’s 2,000 B Corps, just under half are in London, with a further 70 in Scotland, 31 in Wales, and nine in Northern Ireland, according to data shared by B Corp Lab UK.

After passing the 2,000 mark in early April, the UK is now home to almost a quarter of the world’s 8,400 certified B Corps, the organisation said.

James Ghaffari, director of growth and product at B Lab UK, said the UK B Corp community had gone from “strength to strength” in recent years.

“Reaching 2,000 B Corps in the UK shows that a new type of leadership in our economy is possible,” he said. “But we know there’s still a long way to go. If we want the UK to continue to be a pioneer in better business, we must keep working together to go further, faster.”

To achieve B Corp Certification, a company must reach a score of at least 80 points through the B Impact Assessment, a tool designed to help measure and manage a business’s impact on its workers, community, customers, and the environment. They must also formally change their corporate governance structures and processes to ensure they are accountable to a wider range of stakeholders, rather than be solely focused on shareholders.

The update came just days after it was confirmed herbal tea brand Pukka Herbs has been stripped of its B Corp certification, after it was fully integrated into its privately-owned parent company, Lipton Teas & Infusions. The move underscores how B Corps have to reapply for certification when their circumstances or ownership changes.

B Lab UK also announced last week it would be inviting B Corps to attend a “Edinburgh-fringe style event” on 10 and 11 September focused on how to accelerate business action to address social and environmental issues.

It said the Louder than Words – B Corp Festival would be “a space for B Corps and friends of the movement to connect, collaborate, share ideas and challenge one another on the journey to redefining the role of business in our economy”.

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