CANOPY takes sustainability to a new level with their B Corp Certification

CANOPY is an exceptional network of shared workspaces for both accomplished professionals and aspirational entrepreneurs alike – a sophisticated and diverse community of thinkers, creators, builders, and innovators. 

Rooted in sustainability, CANOPY has integrated high social and environmental practices into every aspect of their operations. By embracing B Corp principles, CANOPY has set a precedent for companies striving to make a positive impact. CANOPY received their B Corp certification in October 2023, achieving an outstanding score of 99.9. 

“We created CANOPY to offer sustainable, design-forward spaces where members can do their best work with minimal impact. Now that we’re a committed member of the B Corp community, the rigorous standards that underpin B Corp Certification will continue to shape how we define success in our business operations while valuing people, including our staff and members, the broader community we serve, and the planet.”

– Steve Mohebi, Yves Béhar, and Amir Mortazavi, CANOPY founders

Jessica Kearney, VP of Operations, shares insights and advice gained along CANOPY’s certification journey:

• Have the right processes in place before beginning the certification process. Those processes should demonstrate high social and environmental performance and be embedded in your operations.
  
  
• Set expectations with key stakeholders on timeline. The timeline is mostly out of your control. Set expectations with your internal stakeholders that while you will complete tasks in a timely manner, the rest is out of your hands. Our certification process took about a year to complete. 

• Be ready and organized when submitting all the details. It’s really important to have the CEO and the CFO involved from the beginning. This will help ensure the information you submit is 100% accurate. 
  
  When completing the questionnaire, assume that all the information you submit will be verified. You should be able to provide proof for every item you submit.
  
  Set future goals for yourself along the way. Even after you receive your certification score, you can continue to improve on that score by maintaining and increasing your efforts.
  

• It's really important to view all of your procedures and standards of operation through a sustainability lens. One of the most important things that companies and individuals do on a day to day basis is how we spend our money. And it's really important to be a conscious consumer, but that’s just not always possible. So we switched to the Raw office ordering platform and we always prioritize purchasing things that are environmentally friendly and sustainable over saving money.
  
  
• Ensure your carbon credits are actually doing something. You’ll assess your company’s environmental impact as a business, and you’ll have to use carbon credits to mitigate it (though it shouldn’t be the only thing you do). Bringing on CNaught was a huge help here. It’s important to find a company like CNaught that does the double-checking and verification of climate impact because it's really important to make sure your carbon credits are actually doing something.
  

Read more about CANOPY’s B Corp certification journey here. 

Read more about B Corp Certification here. 

To learn how CNaught’s curated portfolio can help your organization meet the rigorous environmental standards required to receive B Corp Certification, reach out to us here.