Wildhartt is now certified B Corp™️. What now?

At Wildhartt, we don't chase labels and certifications. We prefer to take concrete action to build a project that we believe to be truly virtuous.

In September 2024, we decided to embark on the B Corp Certification process. And today it's official: Wildhartt is B Corp certified.

• Is this an end in itself? No.
• Are we proud? A little bit, yes.

Why Bcorp?

"I had already taken part in B Corp Certification in my previous experiences. This time, I wanted to do it for my own project."
- Maxime co-founder of Wildhartt

At the start, we asked ourselves quite a few questions:

Is B Corp right for us? Aren't we running the risk of joining a label that, if badly used, becomes a tool for greenwashing instead of a real tool for transformation?

We admire some B Corps companies (e.g. Patagonia), while others we know little about. But what we recognise in all cases is the effort it takes to get there.

So why did we do it?
For several very concrete reasons:

1. Because we measure and reduce the carbon footprint of all our holidays. And we wanted this strong commitment to be recognised, verified and structured.
2. Because we work with a community of local guides who live their profession with passion, humility and respect for living things. And because we wanted their work to be even more meaningful, in a company aligned with their values.
3. And above all: because if this pushes us to become even better at social and environmental responsibility... then it's a good bet."

A demanding (and useful) process.

Honestly? It was long and intense. But today we're sure it was worth it. This process has enabled us to better structure our CSR policies and lay solid foundations for the coming years. It has brought to light some of our weaknesses... but also some strengths that the team didn't realise it had.

The B Corp Certification process forced us to ask ourselves some important questions:

• Where do we want to take Wildhartt, as a team?
• How do we measure what really matters?
• What brings meaning to the team and our community (guides & customers)?

We've made progress on some key questions. And that's already a lot.

But it's only the beginning

This certification is not a trophy. It's a starting point. We know, for example, that social responsibility is still one of our weak points. But we're actively working on it. Last April, we took Adrien, who has a disability, to his first ever 4,000m. It was a powerful experience that we want to replicate and extend to others. So that the adventure is truly accessible to everyone.

Being a B Corp is a framework, not an end in itself. We're well aware of that.

Are there any limits to the certification? Yes, there are.

B Corp is a path to improvement. In order to be eligible for B Corp Certification, companies must score a minimum of 80 out of the maximum of 200 points on the B Impact Assessments, B Lab’s online tool to capture impact. But we have to recognise that some companies barely achieve the minimum score (like Evian at 80.3 or Nespresso at 84.3). Their commitment is sometimes questionable. Fortunately, B Corp standards are evolving.

And at Wildhartt?

We achieved a score of 101.9. And we intend to keep improving.

Doing business differently

For us, doing business differently is simple:

"It means building something beautiful. It's when a vision with a positive societal impact blends with the entrepreneurial project, until it becomes one. It's about wanting to create a real impact. Even if it's small. But sincere."

So no, we're not perfect. But we're constantly trying to improve. And we're making progress.

The rest is being written now.

Thank you for being part of the adventure!

-

The Wildhartt team