“B” Stands for “Benefit Corporation”

March is B Corporation Month and of course we’re going to give our voice and attention to the B Corporation – what is a B Corp, how does a B Corp benefit the culture, and what is the purpose of AMS Fulfillment being a B Corporation?

What it means is that we are not in this world just to make a profit – we are working to create positive change. What kind of change? Changes for whom? What do we do that is different from other fulfillment companies?

In this writing we will focus on the impact we have on the environment, and we’ll follow up with a blog on how we serve our employees and our community. But first things first… what is a B Corporation?

What is a B Corp?

A quick google search gives us this answer:

March is B Corp Month, a global campaign to celebrate businesses that balance profit, people, and the planet. B Corp Month is a time to recognize companies that are working to create positive change. 

What are B Corps?

*B Corps are businesses that are certified to demonstrate their social and environmental performance.

*B Corps are committed to stakeholder governance, which means they consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, community, and the environment. 

*B Corps are working to create more inclusive workspaces and improve their impact on the planet. 

Corporations and ‘Greenwashing’

There is a term being used to describe corporations that present themselves or their products as being environmentally friendly when in fact they are not. That term is ‘greenwashing’. Here’s what Google says about greenwashing:

Corporate greenwashing is when a company misleads the public about its environmental impact to appear more environmentally friendly. It’s a deceptive marketing tactic that can deceive consumers and delay climate action.

The core element of greenwashing is using misleading claims or visuals to give the impression of environmental responsibility without substantial evidence to back it up and delay climate action. Genuine companies are more likely to provide information about energy consumption, water pollution, and emissions.

How to spot greenwashing: 

*Be wary of vague terms like “all-natural” or “eco-friendly”

*Look for a lack of evidence to support claims

*Check for third-party research and analyst reports

*Look for official certification from a vetting organization

AMS Fulfillment is the Real Deal

AMS is committed to protecting the environment and we do provide our clients with evidence to support our claim. Recently AMS’ ESG Program Manager, Samantha Hicks, reported on AMS’ 2024 CDP SME Climate score, the highest SME score in 2024, SME B!

Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) refers to the environmental data that companies and cities provide to the CDP. CDP SME stands for Carbon Disclosure Project Small and Medium-sized Enterprise. The CDP is an international nonprofit that helps companies and governments manage their environmental impact.

Samantha shared the following information, and we join with her in celebration.

“I am ecstatic to share AMS Fulfillment 2024 CDP SME Climate score, the highest SME score in 2024, SME B!

These scores are crucial for beginning bold environmental actions as they ensure an accurate and transparent assessment of environmental impacts and progress. In doing so, this supports AMS Fulfillment and our stakeholders to understand our current status and areas needing improvement to effect positive change.

What’s included in CDP disclosure?

*Climate: Companies report on climate-related financial disclosures, such as risks and opportunities 

*Water: Companies report on water security, including consumption and related risks 

*Forests: Companies report on how they produce, source, and use commodities like timber, soy, and palm oil 

*Emissions: Companies report on jurisdiction-wide emissions, energy, buildings, and transport 

The CDP calculates scores for each disclosing entity based on the data they provide. These scores are intended to incentivize companies to manage their environmental impact. 

And There is More!!

Samantha has shared even more with us! Recently AMS completed a very thorough audit with regard to our B Corporation commitments to the environment. The following is her report:

In AMS Climate Action, we recently completed our first 4-Pillar SMETA Audit in 2025, we continue to report our scope 1 and scope 2 greenhouse emissions and offset our emissions through credible projects or carbon neutrality. Our green team is focused on sustainability and waste management.

• The Sedex Environment Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) offers businesses a structured approach to assess and communicate their environmental performance. This comprehensive tool provides valuable insights to help your business meet sustainability goals and drive your sustainability initiatives forward. The categories and questions are designed to meet environmental regulations like LKSG and CSRD and reporting frameworks such as GRI and CDP. It covers policies, targets, management controls, monitoring, reporting and engagement activities, and gathers data on GHG emissions, waste, energy, chemical and water management, biodiversity and deforestation. It centralizes environmental data collection, helping users understand a supplier’s environmental maturity and commitments. It also allows suppliers to track their performance, understand their environmental impact and communicate their efforts and needs to clients easily.
• Scope 1 Direct emissions are from sources owned or controlled by an organization. Examples include emissions from burning fuel in vehicles or boilers. Scope 2 Indirect emissions are from purchasing electricity, steam, heat, or cooling. Although they occur at the facility where they are generated, they are accounted for in an organization’s GHG inventory. Examples include emissions from generating electricity for a building. These classifications are used to help organizations plan how to control their climate pollution. They are also used to help readers understand how thorough and ambitious an organization’s climate plans are. Through our reporting platform with The Climate Registry, AMS is able to calculate C02, set reduction targets, and communicate transparency.
• “Carbon neutral” generally refers to balancing out your carbon emissions by offsetting them through carbon credits or removal projects. Carbon offsets are tradable credits that compensate for greenhouse gas emissions by investing in credible projects that reduce emissions elsewhere. Some examples of carbon offset projects are conserving forests, wetlands, and grasslands. Reducing emissions from landfills, farms, and coal mines. Building renewable energy, and Carbon-storing agricultural practices. The goal is to remove harmful emissions from earth’s atmosphere.
• A company “green team” is a group of employees within an organization who are dedicated to promoting sustainability initiatives and practices by working together to reduce the company’s environmental impact, often by implementing green policies, educating colleagues, and waste management. 
• Sustainability is the practice of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the future. It involves using resources responsibly and wisely, and taking into account the long-term consequences of our actions. Sustainability is an ongoing journey, and the work is never truly done. As your business evolves and new challenges and regulations emerge, continue to innovate, explore new technologies and strategies, and stay at the forefront of sustainable business practices. Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time.

Congratulations AMS Fulfillment

As readers can see… there’s no greenwashing going on here!! AMS does what it says. We are proud of the efforts of our B Corporation to not only say we are committed to the environment – we say it and we prove it. Our clients can be confident in stating that their order fulfillment partner is doing all it can to consider the environment as a stakeholder in the business.

There are many different reasons why our clients choose us to handle their order fulfillment – we’re good at what we do. Our B Corp status is one plus among many. We’re not ‘Green’ to make a false impression… we’re ‘Green’ because we care enough to do everything we can to protect our shared Earth.

More about B Corp Month

The idea for B Corp Month was created by a group of B Corps who brought it to B Lab in 2016. The first B Corp Month was held in 2017.

B Lab is a non-profit organization that certifies companies as “B Corporations” (or B Corps), meaning they meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency, essentially signifying that they prioritize positive impact beyond just profit, making them part of a movement to transform the global economy for the benefit of people and the planet; the “B” stands for “beneficial” in this context.