Concept4's Journey To Becoming B Corp™ Certified
Our journey began with a simple belief: Business Can Make a Difference.
Nine years ago, our client’s increasing requirements for social compliance set us on a path toward a more structured approach to incorporating sustainability into our business value. By 2021, we discovered the B Movement, which felt like the missing piece of our puzzle.
Though we didn’t have all the answers, we took the first steps. The B Lab standards equipped us with the tools to measure and enhance our impact in meaningful ways— from prioritising the well-being of our employees and engaging with our community to safeguarding the environment and upholding our business ethics.
What is the B Movement?
The B Movement is a global initiative to transform the economy into one that’s inclusive, equitable, and regenerative. Certified B Corps work together, using business to drive positive impact for all people, communities, and the planet. Through collaboration and shared values, B Corps are building a better way to do business—one that puts purpose alongside profit and drives collective change.
What is a B Corp™?
Being a B Corp™ means we’ve met the highest standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. It’s about blending purpose with profit to drive positive change—working closely with our clients, suppliers, local community, and the environment. As part of a global community of B Corps, we’re committed to using business as a force for good and holding ourselves to a higher standard of impact.
How to Become B Corp™ Certified
Becoming a B Corp™ is a rigorous process that starts with the B Impact Assessment, a tool to measure your company’s impact on workers, community, environment, and customers.
Our Path to B Corp Certification
Here’s a summary of how we navigated the certification process—based on our experience:
- Assess: We completed the B Impact Assessment and scored over 80 points across five key areas: governance, workers, community, environment, and customers
- Meet Legal Requirements: We amended our legal structure to reflect our commitment to all stakeholders—not just shareholders
- Verify: We collaborated with B Lab to verify our assessment through documentation and review.
- Certify: We signed the B Corp™ Declaration of Interdependence and paid the certification fee.
- Recertify: Every three years, we reassess and improve to maintain our certification status.
“Becoming a certified B Corp™ has been transformative for us. It's not just about the certification; it's about being part of a global community of like-minded businesses. We've attracted passionate and talented individuals who share our vision, and we've seen our company culture thrive. The B Corp journey has helped us grow while staying true to our values, and it's a constant reminder that business can be a force for good.“
Embedding Purpose into Practice
Since 2019, our governance has been grounded in global principles and ethical leadership. We joined the UN Global Compact and adopted the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles, affirming our stance on human rights, gender equality, and anti-corruption.
In 2021, we formalized social and environmental goals tied to employee performance, aligned with five UN SDGs: SDG 3 (Good Health & Well-being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption & Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
We’ve strengthened our ethical framework to meet rising expectations—enhancing our Code of Conduct, supplier accountability, Whistleblowing Policy, and Anti-Corruption Policy for proactive risk management.
These efforts earned us ISO 37001 and ISO 27001 certifications, reinforcing our commitment to ethical governance, data protection, and stakeholder trust—core to the B Corp™ movement.
Governance
Workers
Community
Environment
Customers
Our Efforts Across Five Impact Areas
Governance
Embedding Purpose into Practice
Since 2019, our governance has been grounded in global principles and ethical leadership. We joined the UN Global Compact and adopted the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles, affirming our stance on human rights, gender equality, and anti-corruption.
In 2021, we formalized social and environmental goals tied to employee performance, aligned with five UN SDGs: SDG 3 (Good Health & Well-being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption & Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
We’ve strengthened our ethical framework to meet rising expectations—enhancing our Code of Conduct, supplier accountability, Whistleblowing Policy, and Anti-Corruption Policy for proactive risk management.
These efforts earned us ISO 37001 and ISO 27001 certifications, reinforcing our commitment to ethical governance, data protection, and stakeholder trust—core to the B Corp™ movement.
Workers
Building a Fair, Safe, and Inclusive Workplace
We’re committed to fairness, safety, and opportunity. Our updated Labour & Human Rights Policy embeds ethical standards into recruitment, equal employment, and Inclusion, Diversity & Equity.
We promote work-life balance with flexible schedules and parental leave, and ensure fair pay—earning Living Wage Employer accreditation from Oxfam Hong Kong in 2024.
Employee growth is key: annual training goals, education reimbursement, and paid development days support advancement, while awareness training fosters respect and inclusion.
Health and safety are managed through risk assessments, air quality tracking, and hazardous materials training—validated by ISO 45001 certification.
We listen through satisfaction surveys and open feedback, ensuring our team feels heard, valued, and empowered.
Community
Advancing Equity, Responsibility, and Local Impact
We believe business can uplift communities. Our Sustainable Procurement Policy supports ethical sourcing, local suppliers, and environmentally responsible products.
We foster transparent and responsible supply chains through supplier surveys, audits, and training programs. In 2023, we joined The Mekong Club to combat modern slavery, assessing risks of forced and child labor.
Education is key to transformation. We deliver sustainability and social responsibility training to employees and suppliers, driving awareness and change across our ecosystem.
Our community work includes NGO and social enterprise partnerships for charity walks, food rescue, and Earth Hour. Our Donation Matching Policy amplifies employee giving and civic engagement.
Environment
Driving Sustainability Through Strategy, Action, and Accountability
Our Environmental Policy and Materiality Assessment guide our sustainability goals and operational decisions.
We embrace Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Replace principles, improve energy and water efficiency, and embed eco-conscious habits into our Work-from-Home Policy.
We hold our suppliers to high standards through certifications, audits, and integrate sustainability into KPI scorecards, and track monthly energy data to assess carbon emissions.
Since 2021, we’ve compiled GHG Scope 1–3 data, earned ISO 14064-1 Carbon Reporting certification, reported to Carbon Disclosure Project, and launched a digital Impact Tracker to streamline emissions reporting.
These efforts reflect our commitment to environmental responsibility—core to our B Corp™ identity.
Customers
Creating Sustainable Value with Integrity and Innovation
Our sustainable product development focuses on responsible materials and production processes, to meet growing demand from global retailers and brands for eco-conscious solutions.
We pursue certifications like FSC, GOTS, GRS, RCS, OEKO-TEX Standard 100, RSPO, BCI, Fair Trade, and Vegan, to ensure sustainability and ethical sourcing.
Our packaging innovations prioritize plastic-free, recycled, and recyclable materials, reducing environmental impact across the product lifecycle.
We actively encourage customer feedback through satisfaction surveys, to help us improve sustainability, quality, and service.
We’ve established an ethical marketing policy to ensure transparent, inclusive communication aligned with our B Corp™ values.
Hear from Our Colleagues
Winnie Chow
Senior Director of Supply Chain and Sustainability
Being a B Corp™ is more than just upholding standards – it's about continuously striving for improvement. We're particularly enthusiastic about our upcoming capacity building initiatives to strengthen our supplier relationships and increase our supply chain traceability, transforming our values into measurable impact.
Pascal Vieilvoye
CEO of Concept 4
Our journey to B Corp™ certification isn't just a milestone, it's a bold declaration that profit with purpose is the only path forward. We're redefining success by weaving sustainability, equity, and transparency into the heart of our business, inspiring a future where every company dares to lead with impact.
Erica Chan
Finance Manager
As a member of B Corp, we are supported by our banks with a lower cost in financing and gained exclusive eligibility on green finance projects. It has improved our company’s cash flow liquidity, hence creating more opportunities in investing on impactful solutions.
Kennis Wong
Human Resources & Administration Manager
Getting certified as B Corp strengthens our internal culture on diversity, equity and inclusion through the development of a fair and inclusive working culture. Colleagues responded to our certification with pride and motivation at work as reflected from our employee satisfactory survey, it alongside enhanced our talent acquisition.
Looking Ahead
Every three years, we renew our B Corp™ certification, recommitting to our people, planet, and purpose. We’re excited to deepen our impact through collaboration with the global B Community, driving meaningful change through collective action. This journey is ongoing, and we’re just getting started!