Today, I want to talk you through three sustainability certifications you’re likely to come across as you shop: 1% for the Planet, B Corp, and The
Climate Label (formerly known as Climate Neutral Certified). I’ll give you an overview of what these certifications mean, and tell you about a few companies that boast at least two of the three. One thing to remember, however: Don’t necessarily write off a brand if these certifications are absent. But more on that later.
1% for the Planet
I’m proud to tell you that Bluedot Living is a 1% for the Planet member. That means that we, along with over 4,800 other companies across 110 countries, donate at least 1% of our annual sales directly to environmental organizations. The 1% for the Planet folks certify every donation.
Here at Bluedot, our donations help support The Bluedot Institute and the Environmental Defense Center. Created in 2021, the Bluedot Institute is an affiliated non-profit public benefit corporation. The Institute is dedicated to inspiring future climate leaders by supporting students and their teachers in creating local, solution-oriented environmental projects. The Environmental Defense Center is a non-profit
public interest law firm that was established in response to the 1969 Santa Barbara Oil Spill. The EDC focuses on protecting California’s coast and natural environment in the area from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
If you’re interested in finding companies that contribute to 1% for the Planet, you can search the directory. Each company page gives you information about the brand and shares which organizations the brand contributes to. Since 2002, 1% for the Planet members have given more than $784 Million to environmental causes.
B Corp
Essentially a stamp of good corporate citizenship, B Corp Certification measures “a company’s entire social and environmental impact.” B Corp states that the certification shows “that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials.”
To become a Certified B Corp, a company must go through a 13-step process that can take months or years — and receive a total score of 80 points or higher on the B Impact Assessment created by B Lab Global, the non-profit that verifies the assessments and certifies B Corps. (Per B Lab, the median score for businesses is 50.9., well short of the 80 points that would be needed to achieve
certification.) Companies that achieve certification must then recertify every three years. The assessment assigns scores for Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers. Around 9,500 companies worldwide are B Corps, about a third of those in the U.S.
You can easily search for B Corps. (I have that page bookmarked in my browser and like to nerd out by looking at B Corp assessments. But that’s probably just me…). While I haven’t been able to find a breakdown of averages, most companies seem to score under 100. Anything over perhaps 120 really makes me take notice. Bluedot favorite Dr. Bronner’s has the highest B score of all: 206.7. However, the soapmaker
won’t be a B Corp for long.
Earlier this year, Dr. Bronner’s announced that it will not seek recertification, “citing weak standards that enable greenwashing and purpose-washing by multinationals.” Per the release, “The increasing certification of multinationals including Unilever Australia and Nespresso in 2022 followed by Nestle Health Sciences in 2023 demonstrated that B Lab is not committed to protecting the integrity of the B Corp Certification and movement, nor ensuring that the certification won’t be used to mislead consumers. Sharing the same logo and messaging regarding being of ‘benefit’ to
the world with large multinational CPG companies with a history of serious ecological and labor issues, and no comprehensive or credible eco-social certification of supply chains, is unacceptable to us.”
Whether or not other purpose-driven companies will follow Dr. Bronner’s remains to be seen. Given that 51% of American adults under 39 and 36% of American adults overall are familiar with B Corps and more likely to make purchases from companies boasting the certification, I wouldn’t bet on it.
The Climate Label (formerly Climate Neutral Certified)
If you see The Climate Label stamp on a product, it means that a company has measured and publicly disclosed its greenhouse gas emissions, set an internal price on emissions and invested that amount into climate solutions verified by the The Change Climate Project, and more. Before adding the label to its website or branding, a company must first offset at least a full calendar year’s worth of emissions. Some brands go further by offsetting emissions from earlier years as well.
The certification originated in 2019, when the founders of Peak Design and BioLite launched a nonprofit called Climate Neutral to help brands measure and account for greenhouse gas emissions. Climate Neutral created a certification, Climate Neutral Certified, to aid consumers looking to make climate-conscious choices (and give brands like theirs a way to stand out). The certification meant that companies had measured
their entire carbon footprints, purchased third-party verified carbon offsets, and committed to reducing emissions over time.
Early adopters like Allbirds embraced the stamp as a signal of accountability, and hundreds more brands followed. But as claims of carbon-neutrality proliferated and scrutiny around offsets increased, the Climate Neutral team decided to increase its standards. In 2023, the organization rebranded as The Change Climate Project. In January 2025, it began issuing certifications with a new name: The Climate Label.
The updated framework moves beyond offsetting and toward more financial investment in decarbonization. Under the 2025 Standard, certified companies must still measure their emissions, but they’re also required to set an internal carbon price and spend that amount on climate solutions.
The minimum carbon price a company can set is $15 per ton, so, for instance, a company with 1,000 tons of measured greenhouse gas emissions would be compelled to spend at least $15,000 on emissions reductions solutions approved by Change Climate Project. Those could include improving operations, redesigning supply chains, or investing in carbon removal. According to The Change Climate Project, the idea is to “align the true cost of pollution with the dollars companies put toward solving it.” Over 260 brands have The Climate Label certification.
What Does It All Mean?
These certifications — 1% for the Planet, B Corp, and The Climate Label — can be useful tools for consumers looking to shop more sustainably. Each one signals that a company has invested time, money, and effort toward environmental or social responsibility. Any brand that has all three has put substantial effort into its sustainability program — and into being perceived as sustainable.
While none of the certifications is wildly expensive, the associated processes do require a real investment of time and resources, which can be especially tough for small or early-stage companies. As I mentioned above, I don’t see the lack of these certifications as a mark against a company. Some of the best brands we’ve come across don’t have them — not because they don’t meet high standards, but because they’re focused on making products, not filling out paperwork. Or, they may have other certifications not mentioned here.
Furthermore, certifications don’t present a complete picture. They don’t capture everything. A pet peeve of mine is seeing a brand that has lots of sustainability certifications, yet chooses to use plastic packaging for cosmetics that could be packaged in glass or paper, or that only sells small sizes and doesn't offer refill options.
When choosing brands for inclusion in Bluedot’s BuyBetter Marketplace, we always consider (and verify) certifications. But we also look beyond these, towards ingredients, materials, packaging, labor, how a company engages with its community, and more. Certifications can be helpful shortcuts, but they’re not the only way to demonstrate values — and they don’t guarantee a company is doing everything right. Case in point: Dr. Bronner’s, one of the most thoughtful and progressive companies we know, is stepping away from B Corp certification to protest what it sees as weakened standards.
Hopefully, this newsletter gives you a better understanding of how some of the top certifications work, as well as how we use them — and look beyond them — when choosing companies to feature. We’d love to hear from you, too: What do you look for when you’re shopping? What tells you that a brand aligns with your values? You can always reach me by emailing marketplace@bluedotliving.com.
Happy shopping!
– Elizabeth Weinstein, Marketplace Editor
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