Stories

The Journey to B Corp at Once Upon

1 gennaio 1970

At Once Upon, we view sustainability as more than just a goal – it’s a way of doing business. To deepen our commitment, we became B Corp certified in 2023, which aligns with our vision of building a business that drives positive change. As a certified B Corp, we’re part of a global community of businesses committed to transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet.

What is B Corp?

B Corp, or Benefit Corporation, is a certification awarded to businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. The certification was developed by B Lab, a nonprofit network with a mission to transform the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet.

B Corps are for-profit companies that use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. The B corp certification is a tangible commitment to building a better world.

The B Corp framework is based on the concept of the Triple Bottom Line, which balances profit, people, and planet — a circular way of doing business that goes beyond just generating financial returns.

B Corps are committed to prioritizing all stakeholders, including employees, customers, shareholders, suppliers, communities, and the environment.

How do you become certified

The standards are developed independently, and cover a company’s impacts in key areas: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers.

To get certified, you must meet stringent requirements, including the completion of a comprehensive assessment with more than 300 questions focusing on the business’ impacts on all stakeholders. The assessment is then reviewed and verified by B Lab, the nonprofit behind the B Corp certification.

Our Journey

Our B corp journey began in 2022. To better align our initiatives with the B Corp framework and better our chances of becoming one, we worked intensely on our policies and processes, and analyzed the sustainability impacts in different parts of our value chain. In June 2023, we achieved a B Corp score of 92.5.

However, this isn’t the end of the road for our sustainability efforts. B Corp certification is an ongoing commitment. To continue to be a B Corp and remain certified, we must continue to learn and improve our efforts with time.

Our B corp journey has helped us to:

• focus even more on every stakeholder within our ecosystem

• drive change as a company through big emission drivers

• continue to work toward becoming a holistic brand

It has also given us a framework on which to base and focus our efforts, as well as a community to work within, highlighting that everything and everyone is connected. This has reignited our commitment to ensuring that every voice is valued and listened to.

As a B Corp, we're dedicated to using our growth for greater purposes than monetary gain, prioritizing the well-being of our employees, communities, and the environment.

Commitment to Future Generations

As B Corp members, we are both assessed in 5 key areas, and also required to sign an agreement that guides our steps forward. By signing the agreement, we pledge to:

• Work toward the changes we wish to see in the world.

• Operate our business with the conviction that every individual, place, and thing has inherent value.

• Ensure that our products, processes, and profits not only avoid harm, but also benefit all, recognizing our shared responsibility to future generations.

What's next?

In 2026, we’ll undergo our first B Corp recertification, which requires us to improve in order for us to keep our certification. Our ongoing mission is to make meaningful progress in a holistic way.Even today, we are already seeing progress in areas that support the B corp vision of the future.

Here are some examples where we have made progress. We have:

• Enacted policies, taken part in education sessions, and participated in conversations that ensure we are acting and governing ethically and sustainably.

• Defined a leadership philosophy and begun its training to ensure that we have continued sustainable growth, as well as employee wellbeing and development.

• Increased collaboration with our suppliers, including signed agreements focused on shared goal setting.