Tekla is now certified to B Corp’s new standard

Tekla is proud to continue its B Corp journey, meeting its new standards for social and environmental business practices.

A B Corp is a company verified as meeting standards for social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability, resulting in a holistic certification that covers the entirety of business operations. B Corps take part in collective action to advocate for a shared goal of a global economy that benefits people and the planet.

To become certified, a company must pass a comprehensive assessment that judges a business’s social and environmental performance across key impact areas. Previously, this was scored across five areas – the environment, workers, community, customers and governance – and required a total of 80 points to pass. The B Lab Standards V2.2 require businesses to take meaningful action across the following seven impact areas:

– Climate Action

Working to be part of the solution by taking actionable steps to address the climate crisis.

– Purpose & Stakeholder Governance

Lives by a clear and meaningful purpose that promotes a positive impact, and considers the interests of all stakeholders – not just shareholders.

– Environmental Stewardship & Circularity

Committed to understanding their environmental impact, including taking action to address negative impacts in order to contribute to an economy that preserves our natural resources.

– Human Rights

Treats people with dignity and respects human rights, taking due diligence seriously on how our business and operations impact people.

– Fair Work

Create workplaces where all employees can thrive, through quality jobs and positive workplace culture.

– Government Affairs & Collective Action

Collaborate with others in our community to make a positive impact and drive systemic change – beyond what we could achieve alone.

– Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Committed to an inclusive workplace and embedding equity and justice into how we operate.

This new standard is more demanding and requires continuous improvement, and will track progress across 3- and 5-year periods, rather than passing on a single assessment.

We are proud of the work we have done to meet this rigorous standard. At the time of certification, this included mapping all of our stakeholders, from employees and suppliers to local communities and the environment, to ensure their interests can be considered in our decision-making. This has already led to change: when suppliers told us that multiple ESG data requests were contributing to reporting fatigue, we moved to a single data platform.

We further formalised our ESG commitments by introducing an updated Climate Action Plan and a Human Rights Policy, both board-approved and to be reviewed every 1-3 years.

We also strengthened the ways our stakeholders can hold us to account, introducing whistleblower and grievance mechanisms that offer a formal, confidential and non-retaliatory route for feedback.

Working with ESG practices has always been a part of Tekla’s DNA. Since launching in 2017, we’ve considered the environmental and social impact alongside the aesthetics and quality of our products. In practice, this has meant a widespread use of fibres such as organic cotton, and a majority of our suppliers being certified to standards such as GOTS or GRS, which combine environmental management and social criteria at their facilities. It’s also meant maintaining long-term partnerships with our key suppliers, including regular engagement and on-site visits.

Joining the B Corp movement has been an important continuation of this journey. Working with standards such as B Corp and aligning with other organisations that work towards systemic change, like B Lab, is the only way to make crucial changes to the industry.