How EcoTree became a B Corp™ through sustainable forestry

What is a B Corp™?

In 2021, EcoTree joined a worldwide community of B-Corp™ certified companies. To become a B Corp™, a company must show that it is working towards a better future through its high standards and strong values. The process is tough and the requirements are strict, which means only companies committed to making the world a better place gain B Corp™ status.

B Lab® is the non-profit organisation behind the B Corp™ initiative. In deciding whether a company should become a B Corp™, it looks at five impact areas:

1. Governance: mission, accountability, ethics, transparency, environmental or social impact
2. Workers: employee security, wellness, development, satisfaction
3. Community: local engagement, diversity, economic development
4. Environment: management, innovation, production, education
5. Customers: relationships, security, privacy, products and services

After 10 months of observation and analysis, the Lab® gave EcoTree a big thumbs up in all five areas. That means we are now one of 4000+ B Corp™ across more than 70 different countries.

Top 5% for environment

Gaining B Corp™ certification was a proud moment for our team. When soon after EcoTree was named as one of the top 5% of companies in the Environment category, we were even more delighted.

Here’s what B Lab® had to say about us:

“EcoTree, a startup from Brittany in France, has been awarded the Best For The World ™: Environment Award for their environmental commitment, which aims to unite ecology and the economy, to work for ecological conversion by supporting regeneration and protection of forests and biodiversity, as well as making forests accessible to all.

“The company is one of the first French GreenTech companies to receive B Corp™ certification and to go even further; to transfer their passion and scientific knowledge to more individuals and companies, to diversify biodiversity projects and to demonstrate its management model. It is forestry far above the standard.”

Wow! Pretty incredible words from such a well-regarded organisation. We don’t take our ‘Best For The World’ title lightly either – we know it comes with huge responsibility. But with the help of you – our amazing tree owners – we believe this is just the beginning!

Head over to the B Lab® website if you would like to read what B Lab® said about EcoTree when they did their evaluation.

Making B Corp™ status count

Every B Corp™ must have its certification renewed every three years and go through the same process. We welcome the continued assessment, because being a B Corp™ helps us think about and define areas we can do even better.

Here are our priorities for the coming years:

• We will share our passion and scientific knowledge about forestry and biodiversity, so more people become aware of the environmental challenges we face and are inspired to take action.
• We will increase our biodiversity projects, so companies and individuals can support our work to restore and protect natural habitats.
• We will expand our sustainable and close-to-nature approach to forestry across Europe, so more countries can take part and benefit.

As a sustainable forestry company, we must develop over time and adapt to any changes we face along the way. We have achieved a lot, but we can’t sit back and relax. Instead, we are constantly moving forward thanks to you – the people who buy our trees and support our biodiversity work.

Our B Corp™ certification is a great achievement for our fantastic team, but it’s also with great thanks to all our partners and customers.

What next?

Our B Corp™ certification needs to be re-evaluated in 2023, which will give us a brilliant opportunity to get fresh eyes on what we do well and where we can do even better! Until then, we continue to plant trees, support biodiversity and grow as both a business and a group of people committed to sustainable forestry.

Want to join us for the journey? Time to become a tree owner. Visit our treeShop and buy your first tree in one of our beautiful, sustainably managed forests.