Dudley Building Society has become the first regional UK building society to achieve B Corp certification.

B Corp is a globally recognised accreditation that verifies companies meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

Awarded by B Lab, a global non-profit organisation, B Corp companies commit to positively impacting all stakeholders – workers, communities, customers, and the planet.

Dudley Building Society is only the second building society in the UK to be awarded B Corp status, achieving an overall score of 89.9. The median score for ordinary businesses that complete the assessment is 50.9.

James Paterson (pictured), CEO of Dudley Building Society, said: “We are passionate about making a positive impact on people’s lives and doing the right thing as a business. That’s why we wanted to join a global movement of like-minded businesses and achieve B Corp certification.

“We believe the B Corp principles align perfectly with our own strategic pillars – customer, capability, community, and climate. This certification also showcases our dedication to authenticity and transparency as a business.

“The B Corp assessment took an in-depth look at our practices, assessing our entire social and environmental impact across various measures. Moving forward, we will aim to maintain, build on, and improve these practices to ensure that the society remains up to date with the highest standards.

“The society is committed to creating a sustainable future for both our members and communities. We will therefore use the insights gained from the B Corp assessment to drive forward our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives.

“I would like to thank all of the dedicated staff at Dudley Building Society for their hard work and commitment to achieving the B Corp certification.”