This week, California became the sixth state to charter a revolutionary new kind of corporation: one that seeks profit AND purpose.
Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 361, which creates two new classes of corporations that are legally required to pursue a positive impact on society and the environment.
The law broadens the duty of a company to go beyond maximizing shareholder value - profits - to include stakeholder value - environmental and social benefits to the community.
"Entrepreneurs, investors and consumers are calling for this type of legislation," says Assemblymember Jared Huffman, who sponsored the law. "They believe this is the start of something transformational. AB 361 rolls out the welcome mat for businesses and investors ready to create high quality jobs in California and make economic and social contributions that will improve the quality of life in communities across to our state for years to come."
Companies can now file as "Benefit Corporations," which by law means they must take the environment, community, employees and suppliers into account when they make business decisions.
It also creates Flexible Purpose Corporations - for companies that want to focus on a specific mission that benefits society in addition to profits.
In contrast, standard corporate law says a company's sole mandate is to maximize shareholder profits. That means, even if a company wants to protect environmental and social values, it risks a shareholder lawsuit if it impedes profits.
The new law also raises the bar on transparency and accountability. Benefit and Flexible Corps must file a report each year - audited by a third party - that details its performance in reaching its mission on both environmental and social dimensions. And the third party assessment has to be made public.
California joins New Jersey, Virginia, Hawaii, Vermont and Maryland, which also have laws that officially allow Benefit Corporations. Similar legislation is pending in Michigan and New York.
Mandating that corporations only focus on financial returns assures negative outcomes for society. These laws are an important step toward recognizing that corporations have a much larger, more important role to play as a member of society.
