B Corp
Using business as a force for good.™
What are B Corp™ businesses?
Simply put, certified B Corps are companies who are committed to prioritising the environment and society in the way they do business. As part of this commitment we've just released our first positive impact report.
B Corps have been independently assessed to ensure they meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. The certification process is rigorous, and considers the impacts of a company’s decisions on society and the environment. It’s about growing a business in the right way and is the only certification that measures a company’s entire social and environmental performance.
Certified B Corporations® are for-profit companies that use the power of business to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy. In 2018 we were the first outdoor clothing company in the UK to become B Corp certified, joining a community that now includes over 3200 businesses in 71 countries across the globe, covering 150 industries.
Still a little confused? Let’s break it down into real terms:
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1. Using business as a force for good.
Certifying as a B Corp means that a company is legally and morally committed to prioritising their responsibility to the environment and society, and our articles of association, registered at Companies House, now reflect this. So whether it’s decisions about the products we make, the people we employ or the partners we work with, we legally have to prioritise the welfare of people and planet, not just profits. We want to use business as a vehicle to drive positive change in the world, and the B Corp community is fully committed to this mission.
See our current B Corp impact score and report.
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2. Good companies, not just good products.
Just because a company makes good products, doesn’t necessarily make them a good company. Whilst that specific product may be sourced in a responsible way that has a positive impact, it doesn’t mean the company that makes it is doing all their business that way.
Certifying as a B Corp is an incredibly rigorous process, covering every area of a business; from products and sustainability policies, to culture and the way they communicate with customers. So when you see the B Corp logo, you know that company has been independently verified and is acting in a way that is socially and environmentally responsible, all the way through the business.
Discover other B Corp businesses
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3. It’s not just a rubber stamp.
There are a lot of sustainability certifications out there, and it can often be confusing for consumers to discern which ones actually carry weight. As well as legally binding commitments to the environment and society, B Corp certified companies are continually re-assessed and are required to pass the re-certification process every 3 years. This ensures that B Corps are always held to account – continually monitoring their impact and trying to improve the way they do business, for the benefit of people and planet.
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Always Have, Always Will.
Becoming B Corp certified was a proud moment for us – joining a global movement of like-minded businesses pushing for change – but we have been a sustainably focussed business since our founding in 2003; with our guiding commitments to People, Environment and Product. Becoming certified was a confirmation of this, and being part of the B Corp community means we stand shoulder to shoulder with others who share our values; learning from each other and collaborating to reap the rewards of our shared expertise.
Here are some of our proudest moments to date...
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The Bowmont Project: resurrecting British Merino wool
Back in 2005 we started our search for a British Merino supply chain, to bring our manufacturing closer to home. It led us to Devon shepherdess Lesley Prior, guardian of the last twenty-eight Bowmont merino sheep on the planet; a breed capable of producing a fine Merino wool but with the hardiness to survive the British climate. Exclusive to Finisterre the flock now numbers over 300 sheep and is a testament to our love of wool and British manufacturing with garments grown, spun and knitted in the UK.
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Leave No Trace: non-toxic, degradable product bag
In October 2019, we launched our Leave No Trace garment bags. An industry first, these new plastic bags are water soluble, recyclable, biodegradable and break down harmlessly into non-toxic biomass in soil and sea. It took us just over a year to develop them with our partner Aquapak and even though they cost almost twice as much as a standard garment bag, we felt that it was a price worth paying to eliminate the final piece of single-use, non-degradable plastic from our packaging.
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Into the sea: Access to the ocean for all
Our purpose is to inspire a relationship of the sea, with products built to enable it. The Finisterre Sea Suit was born from this purpose – to overcome barriers to surfing in countries where modesty laws make access to the ocean difficult for women and young girls. Over four years in development, we are now testing prototypes in communities across the globe in the hope of creating social change and improving access to the sea for everyone – regardless of gender, location or religion.
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