Benefit Corporation / B Corporation
A type of corporation designed to be “purpose-driven” and operated in the interests not only of shareholders, but of their workers, their communities, and their environment. It provides a new type of corporate structure with the objective of allowing companies to work towards societal goals, along with increasing shareholder value, without opening themselves up to […]
Brand Experience
The sensations, feelings, thoughts, and behavioral responses evoked by brand-related stimuli. Such stimuli appear as part of a brand’s design and identity, packaging, communications, and environments. Put another way, the brand experience integrates brands into people’s lifestyles, adding value to a consumer’s experience of the brand. Brand experience is about engaging or captivating rather than […]
BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method)
BREEAM is a widely-used environmental assessment tool for buildings. BREEAM provides metrics for measuring a building’s performance on a variety of environmental factors including sustainable design, energy conservation, indoor environment quality, natural resource conservation and minimizing waste. BREEAM also incorporates consultants and trainings to facilitate environmentally sustainable design and construction of new buildings. Introduced by […]
Buycott
The inverse of a boycott. When consumers consciously leverage their buying power to throw their support behind companies whose actions and/or goals they advocate. Also referred to as “procot.”
Backcasting
Backcasting is a planning methodology where a desired future is defined using either basic principles (i.e. conditions that must be met within the system) or scenarios (i.e. simplified images of the future). An assessment is then made of the current system and strategic actions are identified, prioritized according to their ability to achieve the desired […]
Biodynamic
Biodynamic farming is an holistic and regenerative farming system that is focused on soil health, the integration of plants and animals, and biodiversity. It seeks to create a farm system that is minimally dependent on imported materials, and instead meets its needs from the living dynamics of the farm itself. It is the biodiversity of […]
Blended Value
A term coined by Jed Emerson at Stanford University to describe social, financial, and environmental value created by all organizations’ activities (whether non-profit or for-profit). When investors acknowledge these value components, they can be more focused about their investments in organizations that create the mix and amount of value that matched their own values. Resources: […]
Biodiesel
Biodiesel is a type of fuel that is highly suitable for diesel engines. More specifically it is derived from a variety of oils such as soybean, corn, algae, and peanut oil, and is distinct from its origin in that it is more easily combustible due to a process of glycerin removal; it can be easily […]
Brown Power
Electricity generated from the combustion of fossil fuels, which generates significant amounts of anthropogenic greenhouse gases. Brown power sources include coal, oil, and natural gas. Also, called Brown Energy.
Biomass
Organic, non-fossil material that is available on a renewable basis. Biomass includes all biological organisms, dead or alive, and their metabolic by products, that have not been transformed by geological processes into substances such as coal or petroleum. Examples of biomass are forest and mill residues, agricultural crops and wastes, wood and wood wastes, animal […]
