Our Theory of Change
The B Global Network’s Theory of Change outlines how our collective efforts contribute to economic systems change that benefits people and the planet.
Imagine a world where stakeholders — not just shareholders — are valued and prioritised.
At B Lab, we believe a different world is possible.
From our beginnings in 2006, we have worked part of a global movement working to benefit people and the planet. Now, the B Corp Movement can lead like never before. Across societies and sectors, there is momentum for systems change. The B Global Network’s Theory of Change guides our mission to transform catalyze economic systems change to support our collective vision of an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.
The problem
In the current economic system, short-term gains are prioritized over long-term value; profits over people and the planet, creating inequality, extraction, and degradation.
B Lab™ exists to transform the global economy to benefit people and the planet.
We’ve identified three key aspects that reinforce the role of business within the current system:
- Design of legal systems
- Business behaviour and operations
- Corporate culture and the narratives around business and success
This leads to three types of negative impacts:
- Structural social and economic inequality
- Environmental degradation and resource extraction
- Decline of individual wellbeing and loss of social cohesion
The solution
By working with other movements, coalitions, policymakers, activists, and organisations, and by catalysing our stakeholders — Certified B Corporations, Benefit Corporations, and businesses adopting B Lab’s standards — we can achieve our vision.
And these five global strategies will get us there:
- Drive the adoption of standards to support better management of business impacts
- Certify and engage businesses around social, environmental, and governance performance
- Articulate and amplify stories how business can contribute to an economy that benefits people and the planet
- Catalyse policy efforts that enable changes in how business operates within the economic system
- Develop a network of local, regional, and global communities working toward economic systems change
The outcome
The role of business is redefined so that businesses contribute to an economy that benefits people and the planet, and play a role in supporting long-term economic systems change toward a more inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.
B Lab’s Theory of Change
