Zen retains B Corp status: Here’s what that means

We’re thrilled to announce that we have successfully completed our B Corp recertification! This means we’ve officially been recognised as a company that meets the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility.

But what exactly is a B Corp? B Corporations are organisations that are committed to using their business as a force for good. They prioritise balancing purpose and profit, and are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their staff, customers, community and the environment.

Why B Corp certification matters

At Zen, we’ve always believed in doing business differently. We’re passionate about providing a fantastic broadband experience for our customers, while also striving to make a positive difference in the world, and for well over 25 years we’ve been committed to our fundamental principles of ‘Happy Staff’, ‘Happy Customers’, and ‘Happy Suppliers’.

Being recertified as a B Corp is a huge validation of our efforts. It shows that we’re on the right track, and that our commitments are genuine.

Our 2024 B Corp breakdown

B Corps are assessed in five key areas. Here’s how Zen scored in each:

• Governance: The Governance category examines leadership practices, ethics, transparency, and accountability structures, to ensure that a B Corp business is properly aligned to its stated mission. We scored 20.6 for Governance, up 9% from our previous score.
• Workers: This category measures things like fair wages, benefits, training opportunities, and a business's overall focus on employee wellbeing and creating a positive work environment. Our score of 41 in this category was 14% higher than last time around.
• Community: Our score of 13.1 for community, a whopping 72% up from our last certification, reflects an increased focus on the main criteria for this category: giving back to the local community, and creating a positive impact through business practices.
• Environment: This category evaluates a company’s environmental footprint, responsible resource use, efforts to reduce emissions, and overall commitment to sustainability. Our score of 15.9 (up 20%) reflects our ongoing sustainability efforts as we strive toward our ultimate net zero target.
• Customers: Finally, the Customers category is there to ensure that businesses focus on beneficial products and services, ethical customer treatment, and creating positive customer experiences. We remain totally committed to this principle, with our score of 3.7 reflecting a 19% increase on our previous score.

Our total B Corp score increased from 84.9 to 104.6 (out of 200), an increase of almost 20 points! Incidentally, certification requires a minimum of 80 points and the average score for a business taking the B Corp assessment is 50.9 points.

Looking ahead: Building on our success

We’re proud to have retained our B Corp status, but as we often say, this is only the beginning. We’re constantly looking for new ways to improve our social and environmental impact and make Zen an even better place for our customers and people.

In the coming months, we’ll be publishing and sharing our annual B Corp Impact Assessment Report, providing a deeper dive into specific initiatives, progress, and our future goals.

Want to learn more?

Visit our website to read more about our B Corp status and our commitment to sustainability.

Check out the B Corp website to find out more about the B Corp movement.