Last September Havas won the Shell global media account and shortly thereafter a watchdog group called Clean Creatives coordinated a demand by 26 advertising and communications agencies that B Lab strip B Corp status from agencies working with fossil fuel companies and other major environmental polluters.     

It noted that several Havas-owned agencies with B Corp status will be working on the Shell account.   

The assignment took effect on Jan. 1 and now B Lab confirms that it has launched a formal inquiry into the matter. 

In response to a query a representative for B Lab responded that “The main allegations and concerns to be investigated are:  

Possible outcomes of the probe include certification revocation or suspension, although B Lab stressed that it could also decide to uphold Havas’ certification, depending on what it finds during the course of the investigation. 

Four Havas agencies with B Corp status will be investigated separately, including offices in New York, London, the Netherlands and Indonesia. 

“The Complaint Process is an accountability mechanism B Lab employs as a part of the B Corp Certification and is designed to recognize a variety of issues that should be considered as part of a company’s certification eligibility. We aim to conclude formal investigations within 90 days. This minimum amount of time is critical to ensure a thorough and objective process and arrive at a fair decision.” 

The rep said B Lab hopes to wrap up the entire process by June 30.