WELEDA Announces B Corp Certification, Reinforcing Brand's 100 Year Legacy As One Of The Leading Natural Cosmetic Brands

IRVINGTON, N.Y., Nov. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- WELEDA, a pioneer in sustainable business practices, today announced a milestone in the company's longtime dedication to healthy soils, preservation of biodiversity, biodynamic and regenerative agriculture, and fair trade: a B Corp certification with a score of 106.9. This puts WELEDA in a select group of purpose-focused businesses verifiably recognized for using business as a force for good.

WELEDA has long been an organization with some of the most innovative best-practices in agriculture and manufacturing, catalyzing change for good since its founding in 1921. Conducting business in harmony with nature and people has been WELEDA's trailblazing approach for 100 years. WELEDA's ethical business principles have been recognized with numerous awards globally including the German Sustainability Award, the Swiss Ethics Award, and the Green Brand Award 2020. The company processes several hundred raw plant materials, which are cultivated in the company's eight biodynamic plant gardens or sourced from more than 50 long-term raw materials partnerships around the world. WELEDA places great importance on ensuring that its supply chains are both environmentally and socially sustainable.

Other leading achievements include membership in the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT) since 2011 and being one of the first companies worldwide to bear the UEBT label "Sourcing with Respect" since 2018. UEBT offers a globally recognized certification system ensuring the ethical sourcing of natural ingredients; and guaranteeing that the cultivation, harvesting, and processing of raw materials conserve biodiversity and make sustainable use of natural resources. It also requires that companies respect human rights and ensure fair working conditions for everyone in the supply chain. Today, B Corps are widely recognized across industries for transparency and accountability.

"For 100 years, WELEDA has been an innovator in regenerative business practices that meaningfully impact the health of our planet, our fair trade partners and our communities," said Rob Keen, CEO of WELEDA North America. "In our centennial year, we deemed it critical to demonstrate our alignment with the 4000+ other B Corp organizations in our collective goal to positively influence environmental and social impact. We are incredibly proud of our newly minted B Corp Certification and hope we can encourage more organizations to adopt the same commitment."

To qualify for B Corp certification, a company must complete the rigorous B Impact Assessment (BIA) and obtain a minimum of 80 points on its 200-point scale. Anyone may take the BIA, and the average company scores approximately 50 points, well below the threshold for certification. During the BIA, businesses are rigorously assessed and measured in five areas: workers, community, governance, environment, and customers.

Today, there are more than 4,000 Certified B Corporations across 77 countries and 153 industries, unified by one common goal: transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet.

"We are excited to be a part of this incredible community, to serve as a role model, and to support our peers as we unite in the desire to make a difference," said Stefan Siemer, Head of Corporate Sustainability for WELEDA AG. "As our customers become increasingly aware of how their own consumption impacts the planet and society, it is our obligation as the industry leader in certified natural cosmetics to enhance our efforts to help them accomplish this goal."

To learn more about WELEDA's B Corp certification and impact work, visit https://www.weleda.com/b-corp and follow @weleda_usa on Instagram for relevant updates.

ABOUT WELEDA AG
WELEDA AG Arlesheim is a public limited company with headquarters in Arlesheim near Basel (Switzerland) and a branch office in Schwäbisch Gmünd (Germany). In addition, the international WELEDA Group consists of 20 companies worldwide and currently employs around 2,500 people. WELEDA is represented in around 50 countries and is the world's leading manufacturer of certified and natural cosmetics and Anthroposophic medicines.

More WELEDA facts:

• 100% of WELEDA's products are certified natural cosmetics by NATRUE
• UEBT certified ? WELEDA is one of the two leading cosmetic brands worldwide to receive the new UEBT certification "Sourcing with Respect"
• Raw materials for WELEDA are cultivated on around 248 square kilometres worldwide ? the equivalent of 35,000 soccer fields
• WELEDA has one of the largest medicinal plant gardens in Europe ? home to over 1,000 different plant species, around 50 different bird species and more than 30 different species of wild bees on 23 hectares
• Over 120 plants are used, picked and processed into tinctures for WELEDA products
• WELEDA maintains more than 50 long-term farming partnerships throughout the world
• WELEDA production facilities in Switzerland, Germany and France use 100% renewable energy. For the other branches of the WELEDA Group, the share amounts to 91%.
• 98% of the waste generated during production is reused
• WELEDA aligns its sustainability goals with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals published in 2015

More information on this can be found at www.weleda.com and in the Annual and Sustainability Report.

SOURCE WELEDA North America