Portland, Ore., September 12, 2017 — For the fifth year in a row, Ecotrust Forest Management (EFM) is recognized for creating extraordinary positive impact through its climate-smart investment strategies based on an independent, comprehensive assessment administered by the nonprofit B Lab.
EFM, the first forest management company certified as a B Corporation, scored in the top 10% of certified B Corporations and joins a select group of companies worldwide that have achieved this level of recognition for their business practices being “Best for the World”. EFM is being honored in four categories—best for overall positive impact, best for the long-term, best for communities, and best for the environment.
EFM has acquired 75,000 acres of Washington, Oregon, and California forestland on behalf of investors and forestland owners and manages land to enhance forest health and productivity, and to produce a diverse array of forest products and services including timber, biomass, carbon, and improved habitat and water quality.
The full B Impact Assessment evaluates a company’s environmental performance, employee relationships, diversity, involvement in the local community, the impact a company’s service has on those it serves, and more. Long-Term scores are given on a company’s overall mission, ethics, accountability, and transparency. It measures whether the company has adopted a social or environmental mission, and how it engages its employees, board members, and the community to achieve that mission. Honorees scoring in the top 10 percent set a gold standard for the high impact that business as a force for good can make around the world.
“We are very proud to be recognized by B Lab as “Best for the World.” At EFM this means creating climate-smart investment strategies that not only result in healthier forests and lowered risk, but also strategies that create a strong connection to people through well-paying local jobs, and investments in economically distressed communities.” says Amrita Vatsal, Managing Director of EFM.
“Companies like EFM exemplify what it means for a business to be a good citizen,” says Jay Coen Gilbert, co-founder of B Lab. “We’re proud to recognize their achievement. Best for the World is the only list of businesses making the greatest positive impact that uses comprehensive, comparable, third-party-validated data about a company’s social and environmental performance.”
The full list of Best for the World honorees can be found at bthechange.com.
EFM is a privately held forestland investment and management company, based in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 2004, the company has a 12-year track record of managing more than 75,000 acres in Oregon, Washington, and California on behalf of its clients. Our management is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and our forests are managed to produce a full range of goods and services – logs for mills, clean water for communities, carbon sequestration and biodiversity – for the benefit all our stakeholders. Our 10 person team has deep local experience in forestland investment and management, finance, tax credits and environmental markets. EFM is proud to be a top 50 Impact Fund Manager and among the top 10% of B Corps globally since 2013. Learn more at www.ecotrustforests.com
About B Lab
B Lab is a nonprofit organization that serves a global movement of people using business as a force for good. Its vision is that one day all companies will compete not only to be the best in the world, but the best for the world and society will enjoy prosperity for all for the long term. B Lab drives this systemic change by 1) building a community of Certified B Corporations to make it easier for all of us to tell the difference between “good companies” and good marketing; 2) passing benefit corporation legislation to give business leaders the freedom to create value for society as well as shareholders; 3) helping businesses measure, compare and improve their social and environmental performance with the free B Impact Assessment; 4) driving capital to impact investments through use of its B Analytics and GIIRS Ratings platform. For more information, visit www.bcorporation.net