Sistema B, a more inclusive, equitable and regenerative global movement
“A global Community of leaders who use their businesses to build a more inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economic system for the people and for the planet,” Sistema B Brasil.
Movement B is a future possibility for companies that believe in a new economy.
A survey run by McKinsey & Company highlighted the circular economy and social, environmental, and economic sustainability as the future of fashion.
“Consumers will increasingly expect—and demand—an emphasis on sustainability from fashion brands. Circular business models won’t be optional.”
“Notably, environmentally- and socially-focused companies are considered by younger cohorts to be better prospects as employers, and the vast majority say they would be more loyal to companies that are aligned with those values”, Business of Fashion.
“I think the fact the brand belongs to Kering, and having Kering expressing commitment towards sustainability and values as a group, makes a difference. You work in an environment where this matters”, Cédric Charbit, Balenciaga chief executive.
The Certification of B Companies is administered by B Lab Standards Analysts, a non-profit organization founded in 2006 in the United States. The standards for Certification B are overseen by B Lab’s independent Standards Advisory Board. The Global Governance Council oversees the global growth of B Lab and the B Movement. Currently, Brazil has 202 certified companies, two ABEST associates (Flávia Aranha and Movin), 705 LATAM companies, and 3843 companies worldwide.
“We have been certified by Sistema B since 2016, an initiative operating in more than 50 countries that consolidates transparency in the processes of production and the concerns about social and environmental impacts, equating them to profit in the company’s management priorities”, Flávia Aranha.
“We are the first Brazilian fashion company to be certified as a B Company (B Corp Certification), which recognizes and validates new organizational models that encourage the use of corporate power to solve social and environmental issues, always in synch with the concept of solidary economy,” Movin.
The B Impact Assessment (BIA), a free, online, and exclusive tool, analyzes and monitors the company’s performance and positive impacts recognized by the market in five different areas: Governance, Workers, Clients, Community, and Environment.
“Our certification looks at the entire company, not just the product. It looks at how you treat your workers, your community and the environment”, affirms Katie Kerr, communications director at B Lab.
The purpose of making an impact is at the heart of the business models of companies that are certified by Sistema B. They promote profits and growth as a force for good: generating a triple positive impact for their employees, communities, and the environment.
“B Companies are a new type of business that balances purpose and profit, while considering the impact of its decisions on its workers, clients, suppliers, the community and the environment. These are companies that strive to be better FOR the world and not merely the best IN the world”, Sistema B Brasil.
Certification for a B Company requires four essential attributes: a strong purpose – all actions are driven and committed to generating positive impact for society and the environment; adhesion to Clauses B – the company reinforces and protects its mission of committing to social and environmental responsibilities throughout its operation; commitment to continuous improvement – B Companies are committed to operating with high standards of transparency, in addition to continuously improving the management and impact measurement; acting with interdependence – the power of interdependence and mutual collaboration between companies to develop a more inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy.
“More than a certification, it is a proof of commitment”, Sistema B Brasil.
Vert Transparency
“Vert is a Brazilian ‘look’, it goes beyond the tennis shoe, check out how it’s done.”
“How are Vert shoes made? How much do the workers earn? How much does the organic cotton producer earn? What kind of chemical products are used in a pair of Verts? Vert’s transparency boils down to about ten questions.”
Since 2004, Vert sets the price of organic and agroecological cotton in advance, in accordance with producer associations in Brazil and Peru.
Contracts guarantee greater financial security for producers due to the uncorrelated market prices and its fluctuations. “This financial security is stronger because they know how much they will earn from cotton before even planting it.”
Vert invests in research and new technologies. It also presents fair trade and more economically equitable organic raw materials for all parties involved in the chain of production.
The entire inventory of the Parisian store and e-shop is run by ASF employees (Atelier Sans Frontières), who are responsible for receiving Verts that are shipped from Brazil, organizing storage, as well as preparing and dispatching orders.
Atelier Sans Frontières promotes professional inclusion of people that have been left out of the job market, offering adequately paid employment and personalized social support, so that they can develop a career plan.
Fair Trade
Since 2004 the brand has applied the principles of fair trade: it works directly with producers and eliminates intermediaries.
“We pre-finance harvests by up to 40%. In other words, organic cotton is bought a year before becoming a shoe.”
“At the beginning of the year, we agreed on the cotton price by signing an annual contract with the cotton producers. This way, producers know how much they will earn from the harvest before planting a single seed. This price is market-related to ensure that producers can live decently and reinvest in their lands.”
Vert’s ‘preferred’ materials
Vert regards recycled PET, organic cotton, chrome-free leather, organic jute, CWL and recycled cotton as ‘preferred’ materials. The conventional cotton is used as a complement for specific fabrics.
B Corp
“We decided to carry out this certification to improve Vert in various ways.
Now that Vert’s team is composed of more than 150 talents, B corp is a good way to test how the company actually works. It took us almost a year to go through all the questions and some weak spots were revealed. For instance, Vert’s governance is flawed. There is no board, there are no investors, and exclusively the two founders of the company make many decisions.
Therefore, B Corp will help us to become aware of and highlight our weaknesses as a project, and to come up with better goals and standards.
There is still a long journey ahead of us, and B Corp will be of much help.”
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