B Lab Switzerland is a foundation of public utility and the Swiss branch of the global B Lab network. Its ambition is to transform the economy so that it benefits all individuals, communities and the planet. As a leader in this economic and systemic change, its international network develops standards, laws, and tools to help companies measure and improve their impact. B Lab Switzerland supports companies in the B Corp certification process and has also developed national engagement programs: the Swiss Triple Impact (STI), which supports Swiss companies – regardless of size and sector – in making their business models fit for the future, and the Swiss Boards for Agenda 2030, an alliance of Swiss CEOs and board members committed to sustainability. This user agreement aims to define terms and conditions for STI participants and is effective from July 1st, 2023.

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• Whereas, by signing up to the Swiss Triple Impact (STI) program, the company completes an online registration form, committing, on a voluntary basis, to pay the programme & yearly membership fees on time, to attend a certain number of STI workshops in the year following the registration, and therefore accepts the privacy policy and the terms of the program;
   

• Whereas by participating in the standard STI pathway, the company agrees to actively take part in workshops with other companies (all sectors combined); if the company does not wish to participate in a collective session, the company can decide on a tailor-made offer;

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Once the company registers for the program, it accepts the terms listed here below and is therefore subject to the following conditions:

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​1. Eligibility upon registration
 

• The STI program’s eligibility process is adjusted to take into consideration the following:
   

  • Sensitive industries: companies subject to systematic social taboos, moral debates, and political pressures and those that are more likely to cause social and environmental damage or bad image on Switzerland and abroad;
     

  • Negative or controversial company practices: negative or controversial company practices that have been observed and that might result in negative media coverage in the near future, or if the company has already been the subject of negative headlines; Well-known examples are not complying with workplace health and safety regulations and working conditions for staff, particularly in developing and emerging countries; breach in trade policy or ban policy; causing pollution from unsustainable production methods; human rights violations; corruption allegations, etc.
     

2. Terms of payment & program fees

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• The STI program fees occur per company (although 1-2 participants are allowed per workshop); in case of withdrawal of the program, no refund is foreseen if not related to B Lab Switzerland's inability to deliver; in case of non-payment, B Lab Switzerland reserves the right to claim back part of the costs (if the program has already partly been delivered);
   

• If the company does not continue to pay its annual membership fee (to continue to be part of the STI Community and benefit from the various tools, services, and events), its pledges remain in the Directory but the company has no further access to the community events and offering; 
   

3. STI Directory pledge review
 

• Within the framework of the STI pathway, the company defines pledges and a related action plan to be listed in the STI Directory, provided the company pledges are validated according to STI step 3 procedures;
   

• The STI committee of experts may, in the case of a specific and/or sensitive sector, invite a neutral external expert (upon signature of an NDA), by submitting an anonymised file to complete the review with extra expertise. The company must explicitly communicate to the STI team if it does not agree with this possibility;
   

• According to the STI step 3 procedures, the company signs a CEO commitment letter acknowledging that the company commits to align its ambition with the defined pledges, and to undertake the related measures to achieve these pledges;
   

• The STI program yearly follows up on the company’s progress of the pledges with Follow-Up calls, communicating thereafter visually on the STI Directory page if the pledges are achieved, in progress, or delayed. Each company is expected to achieve its pledges within the set timeframe, based on the concrete measures in the action plan;
   

• If the company is bought by a group of which it becomes a subsidiary, this does not affect the STI participation conditions for this specific company; if the company merges, a case-by-case treatment applies to see if commitments are still relevant or if adaptations are needed according to the new structure (and possible complementary program completion).

 

4. Communication & publication of pledges
 

• Upon registration, if the company ticks the corresponding box agreeing to appear in the STI communication channels, this implies that STI may use logos and material provided;
   

• As soon as it is listed in the Directory, the company intends to communicate on its validated pledges published in the Directory in its own communication channels (above all on its own website) on a voluntary basis;

5. STI Directory pledges liabilities

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B Lab Switzerland and the company both agree to further specify the liabilities stemming from being listed in the Directory, in terms of both financial and disclosure issues as follows:
 

• The main objective of the STI Directory is to provide a showcase for companies that have completed the STI program, and to highlight the integration of the SDG framework into their sustainability strategy through the publication of their SDG-driven pledges. This is a recognition of their commitment and the seriousness with which they have completed the STI pathway. The Directory is a tool to stimulate action, create more transparency and inspire the private sector to set itself in motion;
   

• The Directory, as an outcome of the program and not a certification, is therefore in no way a legally binding document. In other words, the company and all other members of the Directory cannot be required to pay any financial penalties in the event that the company does not fulfill its commitments in time;
   

• In the same spirit, B Lab Switzerland does not publish any information on the status and completion of pledges that has not been approved by the concerned member of the Directory, unless the company has deliberately engaged in controversial practices that violate the very purpose of the Directory. In this case, B Lab may decide, after discussion with the company, to remove it from the Directory (see below);
   

• All along the STI pathway, the company can be excluded from the program if it has engaged in one or more of the activities or practices mentioned above (cf. under the “Eligibility upon registration” section). If by then, the pledges have already been published, the company will also be excluded from the Directory. This may be permanent or temporary, depending on both the gravity of the practices observed and the corrective measures proposed;
   

• This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the substantive laws of Switzerland without reference to conflicts of laws principles. Any claim or controversy arising out of or related to this Agreement or any breach hereof shall be submitted exclusively to the competent court in Geneva, Switzerland.

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Last update: 01.07.2023

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