{"id":70720,"date":"2023-04-20T16:04:58","date_gmt":"2023-04-20T14:04:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aton.com\/community-b-corp-societa-benefit\/"},"modified":"2024-01-08T16:55:27","modified_gmt":"2024-01-08T15:55:27","slug":"community-b-corp-benefit-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aton.com\/en\/community-b-corp-benefit-company\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian B Corp Community welcomes Aton"},"content":{"rendered":"

B Corp and Benefit Company: towards sustainable growth<\/strong><\/h2>\n

We announced it with great pride in early March: after becoming a Benefit Society we are now also a certified B Corp<\/strong><\/a>!\u202fWe have made it!<\/p>\n

On Monday, 17 April, we were welcomed and officially introduced to the Italian B Corp community<\/strong><\/a>\u202falong with 8 other companies from different sectors who, like us, are striving to make a positive social <\/strong>and environmental impact<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"aton-B-Corp-img\"<\/p>\n

What is the difference between B Corp and Benefit Company?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Being B Corp<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Aton-B-Corp-Societ\u00e0-Benefit\"<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

B Corps<\/span><\/b>\u202fare companies that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency and are committed to a path of continuous improvement to transform the global economic system.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today there are more than <\/span>6,500<\/span><\/b> in more than <\/span>85 countries<\/span><\/b> and in more than <\/span>150 sectors<\/span><\/b>. In <\/span>Italy<\/span><\/b>, after the first company was certified in 2013, the movement continues to grow and includes <\/span>more than 200 organizations<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To become a B Corp, it is necessary to pass a <\/span>rigorous process of measuring and analyzing<\/span><\/b> the company’s sustainability profile, designed and followed by <\/span>B Lab<\/a><\/strong>, the nonprofit organization that was founded in 2006 with the idea of generating a new economic model that puts stakeholders at the center. The international standard adopted is the <\/span>B Impact Assessment<\/span><\/b>, which <\/span>measures the company’s impact<\/span><\/b> in several areas: <\/span>governance<\/span><\/b>, <\/span>workers<\/span><\/b>, <\/span>community<\/span><\/b>, <\/span>customers<\/span><\/b>, <\/span>environment<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

B Corp certification is <\/span>voluntary<\/span><\/b> and is to be renewed every three years in a continuous improvement process.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Aton-Societ\u00e0-Benefit\"Being Benefit Company<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Benefit Corporation<\/span><\/b>, unlike the B Corp certification, is a <\/span>modern evolution of the concept of a company<\/span><\/b> that integrates, within its corporate purpose, the <\/span>creation of value for all stakeholders<\/span><\/b>, defining some common benefit purposes related not only to the pursuit of profit, but also to objectives related to the social and environmental dimension.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Common benefit<\/span><\/b> means the pursuit of one or more positive effects or reduction of negative effects on one or more categories of stakeholders: people, communities, territories, environment, assets, cultural and social activities, bodies, associations and other stakeholders.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Benefit Society is committed to achieving these common-benefit purposes in a <\/span>responsible<\/span><\/b>, <\/span>sustainable<\/span><\/b>, and <\/span>transparent<\/span><\/b> manner and to measuring its activities through an <\/span>annual impact report <\/span><\/b><\/a>, describing both actions taken and plans and commitments for the future.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Italy <\/span><\/b>has been the first Country in Europe to <\/span>legal status as a Benefit Company in 2016<\/span><\/b>, also present, under the name Benefit Corporation, in 38 states in the U.S., as well as in Colombia, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, British Columbia-Canada, Peru, and France (as Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e0 Mission).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Benefit Societies in Italy<\/span><\/b> now number <\/span>more than 2,600<\/span><\/b>, up 55 percent from 2021 and employ more than <\/span>135,000 people<\/span><\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

A community that uses business as a positive force<\/strong><\/h2>\n

What particularly struck me in the call that welcomed us aboard the <\/span>Italian B Corp Community<\/span><\/b> is the <\/span>sharing of experiences<\/span><\/b> and the <\/span>opportunity to compare ourselves<\/span><\/b> on a sustainable growth path that sees us participating together with so many companies, not only in Italy, but also in Europe, thanks to joint meeting moments.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is all in line with the <\/span>B Corp Declaration of Interdependence<\/span><\/b>, which emphasizes the concept of network and reciprocity:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are dependent on each other and therefore responsible to each other and to future generations<\/span><\/span><\/em>\u201d.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In order to<\/span> tackle society’s most critical challenges together, we cannot move alone, but <\/span><\/span>team up with others<\/span><\/span><\/strong> who, like us, are striving to create well-being for people and the planet and to pursue, also and especially through their products, solutions and services, common benefits for all, <\/span><\/span>reducing the negative impact on the environment and society<\/span><\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Community B Corp: what are the benefits for the stakeholders?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Collabora<\/span>ting with a<\/span> B Corp <\/span>means<\/span>\u202f<\/span><\/span>networking<\/span><\/span>\u202f<\/span>towards a<\/span>\u202f<\/span><\/span>socially<\/span> and environmentally<\/span> s<\/span>ustainable growth<\/span> <\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/span>This<\/span> synergy<\/span> is<\/span> realized<\/span>:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n