Quoted in article about B-Corp & whether hint of ‘greenwashing’ exists.

I was interviewwd and quoted about B-Corp in Het Financieele Dagblad , a daily Dutch newspaper focused on business and financial matters. The article was entitled:

Hint of ‘greenwashing’ overshadows sought-after eco-certificate

Investors are also falling for the certificate, says Michael O’Regan, who researched B Corp at Swansea University. ‘They love quality marks, certificates and ESG ratings. Sustainability is increasingly becoming a criterion for investing in something.’

Researchers have been critical of B Corp’s admission procedure for some time. ‘The bar is 80 points too low,’ says British scientist O’Regan. ‘And the questions could be more precise. They miss the main pain points of some industries.’ For his research, for example, he spoke to a gin manufacturer who barely had to go into detail about his supply chain.

Ultimately, a better environment doesn’t start with big companies, O’Regan thinks. The government must play a bigger role. ‘Laws and regulations are needed for a new, more ethical ‘normal’. Because a certificate cannot do everything. Certainly not for companies of such different sizes and from such different sectors.’

Cornelissen, J. and Richard Smit (2022). Hint of ‘greenwashing’ overshadows sought-after eco-certificate. Het Financieele Dagbla, August 12. https://fd.nl/bedrijfsleven/1446580/zweem-van-greenwashing-overschaduwt-gewild-ecocertificaat