The benefits of creating an Impact Report – for B Corps and beyond 

In recent years, the expectations on businesses have shifted dramatically. Clients, investors, and employees are no longer satisfied with financial results alone and want to understand a company’s broader impact: on people, planet, and community. In fact, recent global research by Edelman found that the majority of people now expect businesses to lead on social and environmental issues, not just deliver profit. 

To be honest, I didn’t know much about impact reports before we became a B Corp. We were already producing a transparency report, which focuses on our governance, audit quality, and professional standards and, although it touches on who we are, it doesn’t delve into detail on our wider impact. Becoming a B Corp helped us see the value of reporting on those areas too, and now our Impact Report complements our Transparency Report by showing how we live our values. 

Impact Report for B Corps

For certified B Corps, impact reporting is a core requirement that demonstrates how their values are put into action. 

But even for businesses that aren’t certified, they offer a great way for you to build credibility by being honest and open about your values and company initiatives. After all, you don’t have to be a B Corp to be committed to making a positive difference. 

What an Impact Report actually is

An Impact Report is a structured way of communicating your organisation’s non-financial performance, how you’re living your values, supporting your team, reducing emissions, and contributing to positive change. Whatever it is that you are passionate about and can measure and report progress on. It’s also an opportunity to be transparent about those areas you acknowledge that you need to improve and to set yourself targets to be accountable. 

An Impact Report typically includes: 

• Key metrics and data – such as your carbon footprint, gender balance, community investment. 
• Alignment with sustainability goals – for example, the UN Sustainable Development Goals or your B Impact Assessment. 
• Stories and case studies that bring your purpose to life, highlight what you stand for and show in real terms how you live your values. 
• Future commitments and areas for improvement – because impact is always a work in progress. 

For me, the process of creating our Impact Report was about far more than compiling data. It brought together all the different strands of our work. The initiatives led by our HR team to strengthen our culture, the projects our Foundation Committee runs to support our community, and our efforts to reduce our environmental footprint. 

These things were always happening, but often in isolation, tucked away in different teams or projects. Seeing them all come together in one place was a proud moment. It showed not only the breadth of what we do but how connected it all is. An Impact Report, at its best, helps you to celebrate and see in one place everything your business is doing to make a positive change. 

The best reports are honest and transparent, they celebrate success and acknowledge where there’s still more work to be done.  

The benefits of creating an Impact Report

1. Builds trust and transparency

In a world full of sustainability claims and greenwashing, Impact Reports provide evidence. They show stakeholders that your actions match your words, building genuine trust, and accountability. 

2. Strengthens employee engagement

When teams see their daily work connected to tangible impact, it boosts pride, purpose, and retention. Impact reporting creates a shared sense of progress that motivates people across all levels of the business.

3. Informs better decision-making

By collecting data on your environmental and social performance, you gain insights that can inform strategy. You start spotting inefficiencies, risks, and opportunities, such as supply chain improvements.

4. Differentiates your brand

Customers are choosing values-driven businesses. An impact report helps communicate why you’re different, not just what you sell, but how you operate.

5. Prepares you for the future

With growing ESG reporting regulations and investor scrutiny, having a solid foundation of impact data means you’re ahead of the curve, ready for what’s coming next. 

Getting started

You don’t have to be a B Corp to create an Impact Report. 

Here’s how to get started: 

1. Define what matters: Identify your key stakeholders and the issues most relevant to your business. 
2. Measure what you can: Start with simple metrics (energy use, employee satisfaction, diversity stats, community giving). 
3. Tell the story: Combine data with real stories and commitments. 
4. Be transparent: Map your business as it currently is and acknowledge the gaps. 
5. Keep it consistent: Report annually to track your progress over time. 

Impact reporting isn’t just about ticking sustainability boxes, it’s about aligning business with purpose, making informed decisions, and showing up with integrity. 

For B Corps, it’s a natural extension of the certification journey. 

For everyone else, it is a powerful way to demonstrate leadership in sustainability and transparency. 

If you are considering creating your own Impact Report and need any advice, contact us at hello@geraldedelman.com.