In many ways, 2024 was a year of tumult for businesses globally. Geopolitical shifts, economic pressures, and the rising tide of anti-ESG sentiment made it clearer than ever that the future of business is one that must be rooted in purpose, accountability, and transparency. And if the last 12 months proved anything, it’s that the B Corp community is up for the challenge.
From mainstreaming conversations about ethical business to record-breaking community growth, momentum is building and progress is palpable. With 2025 already shaping up to be another milestone year, it seems what we really need right now is businesses to lead. But how do we maintain our energy, empathy and curiosity as the world continues to throw up fresh challenges at a rapid pace? We must look back to leap forward.
Image: Sally Batt
The role of business in a fractious world
Businesses have a unique and powerful role in shaping the systems that define our economies, societies, and environments. They can often move quickly, set new norms, and influence entire industries through their values and decisions, both big and small.
Amidst diverging stakeholder perspectives, businesses no longer have the option to lead—they have a responsibility. Citizens, consumers, employees, and investors are increasingly demanding accountability, transparency, and meaningful action. Words are becoming hollow without the behaviours to back them up. And indeed the most successful and enduring businesses are those that recognise their role in shaping the future and taking bold, brave steps to lead. So what might that look like?
What it means to lead change
To lead is to be out the front, showing us all what’s possible when you care about using business as a force for good. Clues as to how we do that lie in the past; history has a way of offering both cautionary tales and sources of inspiration.
In a world that constantly demands us to push ahead, pausing to assess the road we’ve travelled can reveal the insights and direction we need to forge a more effective and impactful path ahead. By looking back, we can trace the patterns of progress, pinpoint the pivotal moments that catalysed change, and identify strategies that are working (or not).
Reflection isn’t about dwelling on what’s been done—it’s about unpacking the lessons, challenges, and successes that have shaped where we are today, so we can move forward with greater clarity and intention.
Image: Elin Bandmann Photography
Recognising progress when everything feels urgent
In our work at B Lab Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand (B Lab AANZ), we talk a lot about systemic change—about the need to transform business into a force for good, creating a more just, inclusive, and regenerative economy. And we do this with an overwhelming sense of urgency, especially when we frame the ‘need for change’ against the backdrop of global crises, technological acceleration, and deepening division.
As B Lab AANZ CEO Andrew Davies shared at a recent B Corp Community Town Hall event:
“This past year, we’ve seen technology continue to develop at a pace far faster than our institutions can keep up with. We’ve seen increasingly unaccountable individuals and corporations take leading roles in shaping how our society functions. We’re seeing governments changing, and polarisation seems to be getting worse. And in that, our work remains as relevant as ever. At times, the task feels bigger—but at the same time, progress is being made. That’s why it’s so important to celebrate those successes.”
—Andrew Davies, CEO B Lab Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand (AANZ)
Change rarely happens as quickly as we want it to—especially when the transformation we’re striving for is structural and systemic. But that’s precisely why we need to mark the moments of progress, even as we acknowledge the scale of the work still ahead.
Image: Sally Batt
How B Corps are striving for better
2024 saw some truly incredible milestones for the B Corp community, reinforcing that business can be a driver of economic and social transformation. We witnessed record participation at our events, stronger engagement in education programs, and a growing movement toward accountability and transparency in business.
At the heart of it all, B Corps continue to show up, take action, and challenge outdated systems—even when the path forward isn’t always clear. They step into spaces of uncertainty, face complexity with curiosity, and push for meaningful change.
As we move into 2025, it’s time to reflect on how we can continue evolving—how we advocate for change while navigating a landscape where not everyone is ready for it. How do we push forward despite backlash? How do we find common ground while holding our values firm? These are the questions we must grapple with as we move into another defining year.
Making moments in time: 2024
Assembly 2024 brought us together on spectacular Bunurong Country in February to catalyse the power of community. It was three unforgettable days designed to propel courageous action for a more equitable, sustainable and regenerative future. With Assembly 2025 set to take place on Darkinjung Country, now is the time to secure your place →
B Corps took centre stage at SXSW Sydney in October, with over 30 certified businesses helping us create a high-impact presence at this global event. From deep dives on climate action to soapbox speeches about capitalism’s inherent flaws, purpose-driven businesses sparked conversations in front of more than 15,000 people that stretched far beyond the ‘B’. Relive the magic →
The Business for Good program grew, in partnership with New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE), welcoming another three cohorts. Now with an additional 32 companies completing the program in 2024, the initiative has now supported a total of 173 businesses across 11 cohorts in just a few years. This program has been instrumental in helping businesses across Aotearoa New Zealand integrate purpose-driven practices, and align with the principles of the B Corp movement. Learn more about the program →
Publishing our first-ever Annual Report, after more than 10 years of movement building in our region. Showcasing the remarkable growth, impact, and achievements of our local community of B Corps, and reflecting our ongoing commitment to accountability and transparency as an organisation—this report represented a small but significant milestone in our work towards an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.
Read the report →
Getting on the road, with the B Lab AANZ team venturing further than ever to represent and advocate for the B Corp movement. Rubbing shoulders with ‘skinfluencers’ in the Adelaide Hills, to connecting with surfers on the Bellarine Peninsula, and wellbeing economists in Te Whanganui a Tara Wellington—the team has been relentless in pitching, persuading, and championing the power of business as a force for good. Meeting people where they are, in industries where the conversation about impact is growing, it’s starting to pay off in a big way.
A year of record reach and influence
- Significant growth in the community, with 135 new B Corps in our region in 2024 and a 133% increase in the size of the community since 2020 alone. This takes the number of B Corps in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand to 748 (574 in Australia, 174 in Aotearoa), employing a total of 49K people across 160 industries and with a total revenue of over $24BN.
- Brand awareness of B Corp Certification has seen a significant lift, increasing from 18% to 21% in Australia and from 15% to 22% in Aotearoa in 2024. These numbers reflect a growing public consciousness around ethical business, a wider recognition of the B Corp logo, and a deeper understanding of the role of business as a force for good. Delve deeper into global B Corp awareness →
- Media mentions at an all-time high, with a 43% increase in media mentions for B Corps, and an astonishing 191% boost in audience reach. From high-profile industry features to mainstream consumer awareness, the movement’s visibility reached new heights. Not only testament to the growing appetite for businesses that are accountable, transparent, and purpose-driven, but this is proof of the B Corp community’s burgeoning commitment to crafting impactful stories about business as a force for good.
- Education programs expanded, to support the growing B Corp community. B Corp Recert Sprints provided a streamlined, collaborative approach to help small businesses navigate the recertification process with ease. We also launched two on-demand online training programs (Behind the B and Beyond the Basics), with almost 2,000 sign ups. This demonstrates not only the appetite for accessible, scalable content, but the importance of both regionally relevant and globally accessible learning opportunities to share expertise and best practices amongst the community.
- The continued evolution of B Corp standards was a major focus in 2024, ensuring that certification remains rigorous, relevant, and reflective of high standards in social and environmental performance. At every stage of the process, feedback from the B Corp community has been critical, with more than 50 B Corps across our region involved in the most recent round of the consultation process, contributing over 16,000 data points. With the new standards set to be officially published in April 2025, we are gearing up for another significant milestone in the movement’s ongoing evolution. Learn more →
ICYMI: What you need to know about evolving the standards for B Corp Certification ↗
Possibility and opportunity awaits
Despite significant progress, we know there is still work to do to realise our shared vision of an inclusive and equitable economy. With cost of living pressures intensifying and an Australian federal election on the horizon, we must remain focused, adaptive, and bold in our advocacy.
At the same time, the tides of regulatory and technological change will have a ripple effect across all sectors, shifting how we measure, report, and prioritise impact. More than ever, we need businesses willing to challenge the status quo, advocate for policies that benefit people and the planet, and model what regenerative leadership looks like.
The choices we make in 2025 will shape the pace of progress—the stakes have never been higher, nor has the opportunity for impact been greater.
What’s in store for B Lab AANZ in 2025
To that end, 2025 will see the launch of our biggest ever B Corp Month campaign ‘Generation B’ in March, a never-before-seen regional awareness campaign sure to put the cat amongst the pigeons, as well as significant investment in our policy and advocacy work.
In Aotearoa, we have just made a submission on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill—a Bill that claims to promote equality under the law but in reality, risks undermining the foundational principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi) and eroding the rights and protections that have been hard-fought by Māori over generations. B Lab AANZ is proud to stand in solidarity with Māori and other advocates, urging the New Zealand Government to abandon the Bill.
In Australia, we also signed on as supporters of B Corp Clothing the Gaps’ ‘Not a Date to Celebrate’ campaign, reflecting our commitment to recognition of the ongoing impacts of colonisation on First Nations Peoples. This is an opportunity for all of us to live our values and contribute to systemic change—recognising that the systems we operate within weren’t designed to benefit all, and that better business means being brave enough to question the status quo.
Driving change together
This year, one thing remains certain: none of us are required to do this work alone. The B Corp movement has always been about collective action, and that remains the most powerful tool we have to accelerate impact, push boundaries, and shape a better future.
Every milestone—every new B Corp certified, every policy influenced, every business that redefines success in their industry—moves us closer to the world we know is possible. And while the obstacles are real, each win is worth celebrating.
To driving systemic change, tackling global challenges, and building a more inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy that benefits all in 2025—together.
Read next: Business is better together: How B Corps are driving systemic change through collective action ↗
