Travel essentials company Cabeau underlined its strong ESG credentials by becoming B Corp certified in March 2024.
The B Corp certification process provided a rounded evaluation of Cabeau in terms of social and environmental responsibility, taking in factors beyond its financial performance. This comprehensive approach helped Cabeau understand its strengths and areas for improvement.
For many companies the B Corp process can be daunting or even unrealistic to participate in. It can be challenging to gather and report data, especially if companies lack robust systems for tracking social and environmental metrics. The process takes several months or up to over a year and requires heavy lifting from employees to meet requirements and obtain a satisfactory score via the B Corp evaluation.
This is not just a pay-for-play programme. Companies really must put their values out in the open to ensure accountability, according to Cabeau CEO David Sternlight.
Pursuing B Corp certification throughout 2023 into 2024 aligned with Cabeau’s overarching values, mission and business goals.
The company noted that it has been “increasingly adding focus to corporate social responsibility for several years”. Obtaining B Corp certification was the natural next step for the Cabeau brand. Pursuing this certification encouraged the team to continuously assess and improve its social and environmental performance and to ensure that its yearly audits kept up with the requirements.
The rigorous process examined all aspects of Cabeau’s actions with a key advantage coming from a focus on continuous improvement leading to long-term benefits for Cabeau as a company and for society.
Several sustainable practices and procedures were in place before the start of the certification process. The Cabeau headquarters are in Southern California, which has a reputation for being ahead of or at least open to sustainability-enhancing measures and new ventures. As a company, Cabeau has been working on its carbon footprint since 2020. It joined CleanHub’s plastic neutral vision in 2022 and launched its first sustainable travel pillow in 2023. It is a company effort to keep the sustainability momentum going year-over-year.
CEO Sternlight said: “These initiatives the Cabeau team took on to make this certification happen not only benefit the environment but also contribute to the long-term resilience and competitiveness of B Corp-certified companies in an increasingly sustainability-focused marketplace like travel retail.”
Cabeau’s sustainability vision encompasses a range of goals and initiatives. These are aimed at maximising the continued effort around corporate social responsibility and reducing the environmental footprint, while still providing the best products which consumers vote on through their purchases.
As awareness and attention in the sustainability avenue grows, the Cabeau team remains excited about initiatives that involve more sustainable and ethically sourced materials and supply chain transparency on accountability throughout the process for suppliers.
Becoming B Corp certified is not just a box-ticking exercise, but a strategic decision, emphasises Sternlight: “This can lead to tangible business benefits while also contributing to a more sustainable and equitable future for the travel retail industry and beyond.”
Cabeau looks forward to continuing to leading the charge as a travel accessory brand that ensures we leave the world a better place. ✈
