Danone Dairy Ireland receives B Corp Certification

Danone has been lauded for its pursuit of goals other than profit, the key to the B Corps Certification

Danone Dairy Ireland has become the second Irish company to receive the prestigious B Corp Certification, a mark of quality bestowed on brands that prove their motivation to achieve results in areas other than financial profit.

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Danone Dairy Ireland has become the first Irish FMCG brand to achieve B Corp Certification, a mark of trust that recognizes a company’s ambition to act beyond profit and put purpose at the heart of its business strategy. As well as being the first FMCG brand, Danone is only the second company in Ireland overall, to receive this mark – a major achievement at a time when businesses are increasingly expected to take a stand on and respond to key issues facing society.

Mulitple Danone entities across Europe, North America, Asia, North Africa and South America have already received the certification. To date, more than 30% of Danone’s global sales are covered by the B Corp Certification. The overall ambition is to become one of the first multinational food companies to be B Corp Certified at a global level.

James Bruce, head of Danone Dairy Ireland, said the company is proud to receive the certification. “The B Corps Certification builds trust in our ability to combine business success with social and environmental progress,” Bruce said. “We will engage partners, stakeholders and consumers around this movement, which reflects Danone’s overall ‘One Planet. One Health’ vision, aimed at nurturing the adoption of healthier, more sustainable eating and drinking habits.”

Meanwhile, Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys, TD, congratulated Danone Dairy Ireland on its B Corp certification. “Without a doubt,” Humphries said, “it is a testament to Danone’s commitment to operating in an ethical and sustainable way. Operating in this way should be a top priority for us all.”

To obtain the B Corp Certification, companies must complete a B Impact Assessment and recertify — with the aim to continuously improve — every three years. Danone Dairy Ireland underwent this rigorous, independent assessment covering four key impact areas of Governance, Workers, Community and Environment.

Some of Danone Dairy Ireland’s socially and environmentally responsible practices include:

• The company’s commitment to making all of its product packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025
• Staff being encouraged to work remotely in order to lower the company’s carbon footprint
• Staff being incentivised to volunteer for charitable causes
• Interns being paid the living wage;
• The company partnering with fellow Irish B Corp recipient UrbanVolt, to reduce the environmental impact of its office space in Dublin.

For information about Danone Ireland, visit: www.danone.ie

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