Danone Oceania joins B Corp
B Corp is a global business movement committed to social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency.
Danone becomes the largest B Corp certified food and drink company across Australia and New Zealand, joining a growing list of more than 400 businesses to achieve the certification in the region and more than 4,700 globally. The certification is independently administered by B Lab and awarded to companies that can demonstrate verifiable positive impact through policies and practices for employees, communities, customers, and the environment.
The certification is part of Danone’s broader global goal for all its business entities to become B Corp certified by 2025. Currently, more than 60% of the company’s global sales are covered.
Head of corporate affairs Scott Pettet said, “We’re thrilled to have achieved B Corp certification across our wholly-owned businesses in Australia and New Zealand. The journey to certification isn’t an easy one and nor should it be. B Lab has rightly set the bar very high, which makes the achievement all the more rewarding for every Danone employee in Australia and New Zealand.
“Danone’s commitment to social progress has been a part of our DNA for decades and aligns with B Lab’s mission to transform business to be a force for good. We also know that increasingly, employees, customers, consumers, and broader society expect a much stronger stance from businesses and brands on important social and environmental issues.”
B Lab, the not-for-profit organization behind the B Corp certification, was founded in the US in 2006 with the idea that a different kind of economy was not only possible but necessary — and that business could lead the way towards a new, stakeholder-driven model.
Andrew Davies, B Lab Australia & Aotearoa New Zealand CEO, said, “To have a business the size and complexity of Danone achieve B Corp Certification is a huge step for us in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. It builds on the work of 400 local B Corps, large and small, who have led the way.
“Danone’s certification also shows it is possible for big business to have a positive impact, to hold themselves accountable, and to grow whilst focusing on the stakeholders it impacts in all aspects of its value chain.”
