Insights

This summary outlines the key points and resources shared during the Aspen Business & Society Summit Roundtable on July 9, 2025. It includes only remarks by the presenter.

Business executives often wield significant social and political power, and can undermine democratic governance when they pursue their particular view of what is right or good for society.

As investors increasingly focus on systemic risks, few risks are as consequential as the weakening of democratic institutions and the rule of law.

Corporate Political Responsibility (CPR) bridges business strategy and ethical policymaking, yet remains overlooked in business education. A shift is underway, as programs like Michigan’s ESG Design Challenge bring CPR into the classroom through real-world dilemmas.

Plastics offer immense value—from preserving food to saving lives—yet their pollution poses a systemic threat. Explore how thoughtful, well-crafted rules can align business incentives with sustainable, long-term solutions.

Oxfam Report Highlights Principles for Business Responsible Political Engagement

A mini-workshop from the Corporate Political Responsibility Taskforce at the Erb Institute presented tools and information from The Center for Political Accountability that companies can use as a framework for political spending to help them manage firm-level and systems-level risk.

Using the En-ROADS Simulator to Compare Levers for Reducing Emissions

A Case Example of Corporate Political Responsibility

Across the globe, a rise in authoritarian populist forces threatens democratic institutions in more countries. In the presence of anti-democratic extremist populism, from left or right, the business environment suffers because of a correlated rise in crony capitalism and diminished rule of law.