B Lab confirms that products or operations are truly green- and socially-minded. Since its inception in June 2007, B Lab has certified over 80 corporations across 20 distinct industries with market impact of $650 million, according to CSR.

What does it take to be B?

To become a B Corporation^™, you have to do two things: First, meet comprehensive and transparent social and environmental standards via the B Rating System^™. By meeting these standards, we set a benchmark which distinguishes “good companies” from “good marketing”. And we make it easier for consumers and investors to support these companies.

Second, amend your corporate governing documents to incorporate the interests of employees, community and the environment. By institutionalizing your values, you make it more likely that those values will survive new investors, new management, and even, someday, new owners.

In good company, some of the B Lab certified businesses include:

• BBMG
• White Dog Cafe
• Seventh Generation
• New Leaf Paper
• Village Books

More on B Lab/B Corporation:

• What it takes to be a B Corporation Sustainable Life Media
• Greening Your Small Business Can Have a Big Impact Triple Pundit
• Make Money, Save the World New York Times
• New Certification Scheme Aims to Protect Socially Responsible Companies ENN

Post from: EveryJoe

B Corporations Setting the Benchmark Higher

Green Dream Jobs: from Sustainable Business, is a great database of jobs from companies all over the globe with the bulk concentrated in the US. This site is a great place to connect with environmentally conscious employers. Green Dream Jobs is only open to employers that clearly embrace sustainable business practices and/or have high quality environmental jobs. They’ve been in operation for 10 years and have the reputation for posting the best environmental jobs.

Ruston WHEB: a specialist search firm, dedicated to strengthening executive and non-executive teams for companies, investors and advisers operating across environmental and clean energy markets. Sectors: Carbon and Climate Change, Clean Energy, Corporate Responsibility and Professional Advisory, Environmental Biotechnology, Private Equity and Finance, Public Sector and Not-for-Profit, Waste Management and Recycling. (UK & International).

Environment Job: This is a UK website, but there are listings for employment, volunteer opportunities and events all over the world. Sectors include Conservation, Environmental Campaigning, Renewable Energy, Recycling, Ecology, Environmental Education, Food, Farming and Organics, Sustainability, Sustainable Transport and Climate Change.

GreenBiz: is a great resource for keeping up with the green economy and the job seeker section on this site is great. It draws from international companies and attracts some of the best employers and job seekers around. Also here are tools for job seekers like career resources and a Green Career Advisor.

BSR: Business for Social Responsibility is the place to find a wide range of jobs with companies that have a focus on social and environmental responsibility. This site posts listings from top organizations like the World Wildlife Fund, Earthwatch Institute and The Marine Stewardship Council. The theme is corporate social responsibility.

One World: If you are looking to make the world a better place, One World is a great place to find jobs and volunteer positions that will let you do just that. Very international, you can search Ethical Jobs, Volunteer Opportunities and find Ethical Careers Resources.

TreeHugger: Arguably one of the most influential environmental blogs on the internet, TreeHugger gets a bevy of job listings from companies that walk the walk on social and environmental responsibility. Clean tech, farming, retail, renewable energy, organic goods, conservation and lots of other earth-friendly options.

Post from: EveryJoe

Resources for Green Job Seekers

Companies which engage in potentially harmful behaviors with results such as environmental dangers or distribution of unsafe products often simply pay a fine as damages and move on. Should the punishment for these behaviors include a public mea culpa?

My understanding of the term mea culpa is to take responsibility, to say it was my fault and no one else’s.

While many companies just pay up and move on, there is something missing from this process: acknowledgment of the suffering that the actions caused. Or, in other words, the human element. The case of Dole and Dow in Nicaragua comes to mind.

Dole and Dow were recently found liable in a pesticide exposure lawsuit that spanned international borders and decades of legal battle. An LA Superior Court jury ordered the companies to pay $3 million in damages to Nicaraguan banana workers who were made sterile by exposure to the chemical DBCP.

To date, I’ve not found any public mea culpa from either company. Instead, both tout their corporate social responsibility initiatives, their efforts for the environment and their commitment to the human element, which is the tag line of Dow’s recent ad campaign.

To me it seems that the families affected by the chemical exposure – which left many people sterile – would benefit as much from an acknowledgment of responsibility as they would from the monetary damages paid. Somewhere, in the millions of dollars of ad money spent by these two companies, it would make a difference if the victims were acknowledged – we poisoned you, we’re sorry and it will never happen again.

Check out Liz’s take at Business and Blogging

Post from: EveryJoe

Are Fines Enough When Harm is Done?