Initiative 2117, which effectively repeals Washington State’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA), will negatively impact our local business community through a reduction in planned financial investments in transportation and w

Initiative 2066 is needless and is a solution in search of a problem that doesn’t exist. This initiative actually repeals important planning measures that will keep energy costs lower. While this initiative seeks to ensu

They say a rising tide raises all boats. But there isn’t any raising to be done when the tide no longer comes into the bay – all boats remain stranded. We are often asked about the business case for sustainability. For y

As a small business, you may wonder why measuring your greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is crucial. The reality is, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) represent over 90% of the business population, provide over 60% o

Introduction Our changing climate impacts every aspect of our lives—our economy, our communities, and the environment—in ways both visible and unseen. While scientists and environmental organizations have long recognized

When B Lab launched the Climate Justice Playbook for business, the B Corp community was excited. Companies understood the principles, and wanted more examples of companies implementing climate justice initiatives. The id

From January to May 2024, I had the distinct pleasure of working with Measure Meant as an Operations Intern. As a graduating senior at Gonzaga University, I had not planned on pursuing another internship in my final seme

As a young student with a passion for climate justice and sustainability, it always felt like a contradiction to pursue a degree in business. From what I had witnessed, businesses didn’t necessarily operate ethically. Mu

Recognizing the massive gap in funding for environmental initiatives, Yvon Chouinard and Craig Mathews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies, started 1% for the Planet. Chouinard described the venture: “The intent of 1% for the

In a mid-September blog post, we outlined the reasons we should all care about Sustainability. We highlighted the risks of climate change and global perceptions of those risks, consumer perceptions about the role of busi

Measure Meant has been recognized by B Lab as Best for the World: Community for 2022. We have been a Certified B Corp for four of our five years — a company must be operational for at least one year before they can cer

The US has a productivity problem, and it isn’t what you think. The problem isn’t that productivity has stagnated or is growing too slowly. The problem is too many people and organizations believe that productivity is a

Economic health requires a healthy Environment and Society. It is past time that we start thinking that way and actually measure and talk about what a strong economy really means. What does growth mean? Growth is a commo

The notion of businesses acting responsibly has many names – triple bottom line, purpose-driven, sustainability, corporate social responsibility – and they basically mean the same thing. One name that is getting a lot of

Over the past few years, we found ourselves living through multiple pandemics at once. My question is: how do we want to be remembered? This is a thought exercise. But by the end of this article, I hope you will see this

In the last quarter of 2019, our blog series focused on why our businesses should focus on Sustainability as part of everyday practices. We outlined the five components of the B Corp model (Governance, Workers, Community

We live in a world with finite resources, a rapidly changing climate, and increasingly global interdependence. The impact of our decisions and actions now extend beyond ourselves and immediate surroundings. More than eve

The value of being a B Corp The B Corp movement continues to grow, with over 6,500 Certified B Corps globally as of early 2023. A major part of this is that companies realize there is significant value to being a Certifi

A movement is underway to fundamentally change the role of business. A movement to prioritize people and planet over profit. A movement that is gaining steam and seeks to over-turn the current order and establish a new f

Now more than ever, businesses in various corporate spheres are seeking to contribute to the use and expansion of the term philanthropy. Correspondingly, over the past decade, the United States has been a hotbed for ideo

B Corps are accelerating a global culture shift to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy. Sustainable Brands (March 2019) Last month, Certified B Corps gathered in New Mexico for the B Leadership Summit. As part

All change is challenging. Even the smallest change efforts in businesses can be difficult to accomplish. Organizational transformations, where businesses attempt to change their underlying culture and/or change their st

What happens when you are finished using a product? Where does it go and what impact does that item have on our environment and communities? American’s are voracious consumers. Many aspects of our culture are centered on

What we buy matters. Every product we buy and every service we use has some impact on the environment and our communities. We often spend time researching a product or service to ensure we buy the highest quality version

How we buy the goods and services we consume matters as much as what we buy. How we buy things – purchasing from locally owned businesses, chain stores, or online – impacts the environment and our local economies. Every

Now that the business case is clear and you are ready to commit to sustainability, the next question might be how you make a meaningful impact. Thinking about large challenges can feel daunting, but it does not need to b

Shortly after receiving their certification, Mutu Coffee was contacted by a Certified B Corporation in California that wanted to Mutu to be a coffee supplier through their website. This opportunity would not have materi

What do your customers value? How does your organization ensure that it consistently maximizes customer value every day? Customer value is best and most-simply understood as the benefit a customer derives from your prod

Greyston Bakery, a brownie business based in Yonkers, NY, has been the sole supplier of brownies to Ben & Jerry’s ice cream for over 25 years. They have an open hiring process, meaning that people put their name on

In early 2018, executive management of Spokane City Credit Union – with the support of the credit union’s advisory board – embarked on a project to update the facilities and replace aging systems. Their plan was holistic

The Grain Shed is co-op in Spokane making bread, beer, and meals. They make their bread with landrace grains, which are perennial grains with longer roots that sequester carbon and require less water. The bread is made f

Evolving your business practices to focus on sustainability is about building a better business. We prefer the B Corp model for defining sustainability practices because it provides a more complete, holistic perspective

The first dimension in the B Corp framework is Governance. Most businesses have some sort of governance mechanism and in that sense, the underlying concept isn’t new. What is new: with an increased focus on sustainabilit

People. It is the third word in the US constitution, the first word used to define the triple-bottom-line concept – People, Planet, Profit – and it is a word that describes all of us. People are what make business run: w

A third and critical component of building a better business is Community. In the 1950s and 1960s, it was easy to see how businesses were a key part of communities because in most small towns and cities the grocery, bake

The Environment is the fourth component of building a better business. While we have this as the fourth component, it is arguably the most important. Other components are exceedingly difficult to pursue without a healthy

The final component of building a better business is a group that ultimately drives your business: Customers. Your business exists because you meet a specific need that people have. Without customers – better yet, withou

Our Exploring the B Impact Assessment series examines each of the five sections in B Lab's B Impact Assessment - the tool that supports B Corp certification - and review examples of companies that have been recognized as

Our Exploring the B Impact Assessment series explores each of the five sections in B Lab's B Impact Assessment - the tool that supports B Corp certification - and review examples of companies that have been recognized as

Our Exploring the B Impact Assessment series examines each of the five sections in the B Lab's B Impact Assessment and review examples of companies that have been recognized as Best for the World in their impact area. If

Our Exploring the B Impact Assessment series examines each of the five sections in B Lab's B Impact Assessment - the tool that supports B Corp certification - and review examples of companies that have been recognized as

Our Exploring the B Impact Assessment series examines each of the five sections in the B Lab's B Impact Assessment and review examples of companies that have been recognized as Best for the World in their impact area. If

Don’t get us wrong – we don’t think your business should abandon the idea of profit altogether. We just think your business must put its values first. Especially now. It’s difficult to imagine a recent year that is more

Medical professionals started noticing a strange virus after witnessing 41 cases of pneumonia, of which two-thirds were workers or customers at the Huanan market in Wuhan, China. The Huanan market is a wet market, meanin

You’ve heard of the 12 days of Christmas... here for the new year are the 6 Days of Impact. These six actions are things YOU can do to positively impact your communities and the environment you depend on: Buy local, org

This post will be a bit different from past blogs. I always want to ensure that Measure Meant focuses on the issues that matter; as a business dedicated to sustainability, there are a seemingly endless number to talk abo

Whether you are a business leader or a conscious consumer, here are some green certifications you should know: TRUE Zero Waste Accomplishing zero waste shows great dedication and leadership within an industry. The True Z

The PR release came out April 2018. Néstle appeared to see the plastic pollution problem and was poised to act. When businesses announce new environmental ambitions, they’re often met with applause. Many people are excit

If you have it, you don’t think much about it. If you don’t have it, it’s all you think about. The U.S. has a huge problem with food; one in every nine Americans currently struggle with hunger, many of whom are children

It was long overdue. We've cut ties with Facebook and Instagram. Between the harm these two apps inflect on teenagers regarding body image issues, depression, and anxiety, being unable to quash the destructive COVID-19 m

The craft beer industry is growing, and beer drinkers in the Pacific Northwest are becoming more and more savvy on how their brew is made. This is good news because the beer industry uses a lot of water. In fact, on aver

Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB), located in Portland, Oregon, was founded in 2007 with an emphasis on sustainability from the start. Owner and founder, Christian Ettinger, grew his brewery with triple-bottom-line values gui

The Grain Shed is a vertical co-op located in Spokane, Washington. It was founded by four people: a grain grower, a brewer, a maltster, and a baker. All the grain grown to produce the bread and the beer is grown within 1

Both Hopworks Urban Brewery and The Grain Shed are reacting to a growing demand for conscious brands in the craft beer market, and within the geographical areas they serve. Early research indicates that more sustainable

As the warmer weather starts to move in and dining establishments allow patrons to be seated indoors, it’s hard to not want to be out and about. Spokane boasts many breweries that have an atmosphere to make a beer paire

In the summer of 2022, Brick West Brewing Company launched Upstream, its first Salmon-Safe Certified draft beer. This new beer features two distinct ingredients that set it apart from the other drafts: Salmon-Safe hops a

Every year, Green Biz Group puts out a report highlighting the current trends in green business, and the 2019 report was recently released. As the authors reflect back to their report a decade ago, they notice a striking

There is strong consumer demand for products produced by companies they deem to be responsible and focused on social and environmental sustainability. In many cases, consumers will pay more for those products. Employees

The environment, community, and economy are interdependent

Most consumers expect companies to play a role in addressing climate change and sitting on the sidelines may not be a wise business strategy. In other words, doing nothing could have a direct and negative impact on a com

Compensation Expenses Depending on the company, employees are often one of the largest (if not the largest) line-item expense. These expenses can be controlled by improving productivity, increasing employee engagement, a

Purpose helps attract talent... The past decade or more has been an employee’s market. With low unemployment, talented and productive individuals have more options and can be more selective in choosing where they want to

The case of Alcoa In the Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in business, Charles Duhigg shares the story of Alcoa when Paul O’Neill, former Secretary of the Treasury, became CEO. While this story has little to do with

There are detractors The main theme of negative perceptions focuses on Benefit Corporations and the Mission Lock component of B Corp certification, specifically that considering all stakeholders creates challenges for Bo