Social change PR agency Forster Communications has been awarded ‘Best for the world’ status within the B Corp community globally. This accreditation is based on a comprehensive assessment by the not-for-profit B Lab, which recognises Forster Communications’ positive business impact.

Forster was named in the ‘Best for the world overall’ list, which includes businesses with scores in the top 10% of more than 2,100 certified B corporations across all categories on the B Impact Assessment. The assessment measures a company's positive impact on its workers, community, customers and the environment. To certify as B corporations, companies like Forster must complete the full assessment, with answers verified by B Lab.

The full B Corp impact assessment evaluates a company’s environmental performance, employee relationships, diversity, involvement in the local community, the impact a company’s product or service has on those it serves, and more.

Forster, which is employee-owned, made the list due to comprehensive health and wellbeing programme for staff, its environmental policies and its commitment to measuring and evaluating the positive impact of its work for clients.

Amanda Powell Smith, CEO of Forster Communications, says, “These awards prove that doing business well is good for business. We became a B Corp because we believe businesses should be a powerful force for good and it is great to see so many making such a difference. I believe the PR industry would benefit hugely from more agencies going for B Corp status – those who can’t walk the ethical talk are going to get left behind.”

Jay Coen Gilbert, co-founder of B Lab, says, “Companies like Forster Communications exemplify what it means for a business to be a good citizen. We’re proud to recognise its achievement. ‘Best for the world’ is the only list of businesses making the greatest positive impact that uses comprehensive, comparable, third-party-validated data about a company’s social and environmental performance.”  

The 176 ‘Best for the world overall’ companies come from 75 different industries and 25 countries. B Lab simultaneously released separate lists recognizing top-performing B corporations as ‘Best for the environment,’ ‘Best for customers,’ ‘Best for the long term,’ ‘Best for community,’ ‘Best for workers’ and ‘Best for the world: changemakers.’

There are over 2,100 certified B corporations across over 130 industries and 50 countries, unified by one common goal – to redefine success in business. Any company can measure and manage social and environmental performance at http://bimpactassessment.net.