Weleda certified B Corp

In its centenary year, clean beauty pioneer Weleda has become a certified B Corp

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Published: November 17, 2021
This Article was written by: Katie Hill - My Green Pod
B Corp, beauty, ethical business, health, natural beauty, wellbeing

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Main image: Weleda’s Michael Brenner with B Lab’s Jonathan Norman

Weleda is now a B Corp, and joins an international movement of companies that do business in a meaningful way, with high standards and values anchored in their corporate bylaws.

80 points are required for B Corp certification – Weleda scored 106.8 points.

Business as a force for good

The B Corp certification is awarded by the non-profit organisation B Lab. It is not products that are certified, but a company’s actions and overall approach.

The focus is on social added value and ecological sustainability, and not maximising profits at any price.

In other words, it is about the environment, biodiversity, species protection, human rights, climate protection, employees and customers. B Lab calls it ‘business as a force for good’.

‘B Corp stands for ‘Benefit Corporation’ and the certification proves that a company has strong commitments and results in terms of social and ecological standards. Customers are becoming increasingly aware of how their own consumption impacts the planet and society. People are quite rightly asking brands and companies to care. So that is an important part of the brand promise. This trend can help make the world a better place.’

STEFAN SIEMER
Head of sustainability at Weleda

Becoming climate neutral

The new B Corp status reflects Weleda’s significant and continued efforts to become demonstrably more sustainable throughout the business:

As of this year, Weleda is becoming arithmetically climate neutral in terms of its buildings, production and vehicle fleet. From 2022 onwards, all Weleda products will be arithmetically climate neutral.

This means the entire corporate climate footprint and everything that is needed for the products – such as transport, the supply chain, agricultural production of raw materials and packaging, including manufacture and disposal – will be arithmetically climate neutral.

A paradigm shift

B Corps meet the highest verified standards for social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability, with re-certification every three years.

This means Weleda has embarked on a process that aims at ever higher standards and continuous improvement. It’s a paradigm shift.

‘Sustainability is at the heart of what we do, and it is anchored in our corporate purpose. The B Corp certification helps us to communicate our high standards and philosophy worldwide. In our main markets, Weleda is already recognised as one of the leading responsible natural cosmetics brands. We still want to achieve this recognition in other countries and also for our pharmaceutical business.’

MICHAEL BRENNER
Member of the Weleda executive board, responsible for sustainability

Combating greenwash

Weleda UK is also working collaboratively to prioritise standards, policies and systems across the beauty industry, and ‘walking the walk’ to a more sustainable future.

One such example is that Weleda UK has recently been accredited as a Living Wage Employer by the Living Wage Foundation.

Managing director Jayn Sterland was recently appointed chair of the new Sustainable Beauty Coalition.

‘Working sustainably, in harmony with nature, comes naturally to Weleda because it has been our purpose since 1921, but that does not mean it comes easily! It takes determination, commitment, and investment – and an increasing need to substantiate and verify our progress, which is why I am so pleased we are now B Corp certified.

‘Consumers are understandably wary of sustainability claims, with so much ‘greenwashing’ in our industry, but together with fellow members of the Sustainable Beauty Coalition we are working hard to help consumers make greener, more confident planet-positive choices.’

JAYN STERLAND
Managing director of Weleda UK

The B Corp Manifesto

Together, we transform the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet.
Together, we lead economic systems change that will realise our vision of an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.
Together, we create standards, policies, tools, and programmes that shift the behaviour, culture, and structure of capitalism.
Together, we’re building a movement of people using business as a force for good.
Together, we won’t stop until all business is a force for good.
Together, we’re changing the rules of the game so that all businesses have to balance profit and purpose.

The international Weleda Group consists of 25 companies worldwide and employs more than 2,500 people. Weleda products are available in over 50 countries.