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This framework sets new B Corp certification requirements for responsible lobbying and public policy engagement, including public disclosure of lobbying activities and country-by-country tax reporting. It also mandates that companies engage in at least two collective actions that support social and environmental goals, enhancing transparency and accountability in government affairs as part of fulfilling a beneficial purpose.
This case examines the challenges multinationals face in pursuing B Corp certification, using Danone as an example. It highlights aligning global operations, governance, and stakeholder engagement with rigorous social and environmental standards, and raises the broader question: What is responsible influence on public policy for companies that have committed to sustainability?
Philosopher David Silver argues that corporations are not merely profit-seeking entities but moral agents responsible for defending liberal democracy when authoritarian leaders pressure them to comply. Drawing on his book Corporations and Persons: A Theory of the Firm in Democratic Society, Silver contends that businesses must resist coercion, act collectively, and uphold ethical duties that sustain free markets and democratic institutions.
Ceres’ 10-point plan calls for the insurance industry to lead in addressing climate-related financial risks. It outlines actions spanning disclosure, pricing reform, equitable access, and climate-resilient infrastructure, positioning insurers as advocates for systemic resilience and decarbonization. The roadmap aligns with CPR principles by linking fiduciary responsibility, transparency, and social equity to long-term system stability.
Suggests that a company’s political activities may have more impact on social and environmental sustainability than operations, and argues that corporate political responsibility requires transparency, accountability, and responsibility.
Majority Action’s white paper warns that unchecked AI development is driving climate damage, inequality, and democratic backsliding—non-diversifiable system-level risks that threaten portfolios and the economy alike. It urges long-term investors to adopt responsible AI guardrails that limit externalized harms, promote climate and labor equity, and preserve democratic stability. The report frames investor stewardship as a critical mechanism for AI accountability and system resilience.
The Equitable Bank Standards define a comprehensive framework for banks across five areas: governance, lending and investments, products and services, operational practices, and corporate citizenship. They lay out concrete standards for maximizing positive social and environmental impact while minimizing harm, guiding bankers, regulators, advocates, and customers in assessing whether finance advances equity and community well-being.
A guide to selected video clips (and some transcripts) from the Erb Institute’s Corporate Political Responsibility Taskforce (CPRT) Expert Dialogues hosted from March 2021 to April 24, featuring conversations with a diverse range of advocates, experts and executives from across the political spectrum, to explore what it means for companies to use their political influences responsibly. A very useful resource for educators, practitioners and associations to spark conversation and action. All clips are coded with keywords for easy selection by topic.
This essay explores tensions between classical-liberal and national-conservative visions of markets and the common good. Drawing on Catholic social teaching and Wilhelm Röpke’s political economy, Salter argues that free enterprise and moral order must be treated as complements, not substitutes. He calls for dispersed property, subsidiarity, and policies that support economic independence, civic virtue, and human flourishing.
Related Topics to Check Out
Free Enterprise Competitive Markets (A) – Central theme: explores how markets serve the common good when balanced by moral and civic considerations rather than pure efficiency.
Healthy, Stable Systems (A) – Advocates dispersed property and subsidiarity to sustain freedom and prevent concentration of power—key CPR system-stability goals.
Corporate Citizenship (B) – Frames enterprise as a moral actor embedded in community life, with duties to uphold shared well-being beyond profit.
Responsibility (B) – Highlights the moral obligations of firms and policymakers to design markets that sustain families, workers, and civic order.
As a company’s engagement in social and political issues becomes increasingly fraught, this article lays out decision-making principles companies can use to determine whether and when to engage in social and political issues.
This deep-dive paper is a collaboration between Earth4All, the Predistribution Initiative (PDI), Beyond Bretton Woods (BBW), and Africa Investor (Ai) and focuses on the role that capital markets investors can play in building a more regenerative and inclusive economy that supports the long-term wellbeing of people and nature. Building on the 2022 report to The Club of Rome, Earth for All: A Survival Guide for Humanity, this paper provides concrete proposals for how institutional investors can support systemic change.
The Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE) listing standards include expectations that companies will take responsibility for long-term decision-making across strategy, governance, executive compensation, stakeholder engagement, and investor relations. These standards are designed to help businesses build sustainable value over time for all stakeholders, rather than focusing on short-term gains, allowing investors to better assess long-term capital investments.
Tells the story of Alaska’s landmark adoption of open primaries and ranked-choice voting, showing how these reforms empowered broader voter participation, curbed partisan gatekeeping, and led to more representative, cross-partisan governance—offering a powerful blueprint for restoring trust in democracy. Includes an analysis of the impacts of current election processes and rules -- such as closed primaries, uncontested seats, and winner-take-all elections -- as well as the arguments against the reforms adopted in Alaska.
This textbook section introduces major corporate and agency public-relations subfunctions: issues management, media and community relations, CSR and philanthropy, investor relations, marketing communications, government relations, lobbying, internal communication, crisis management, and more. It shows how communication, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement are structured inside organizations, shaping how they respond to risks, opportunities, and public scrutiny.
This report demonstrates that countries investing in stable, healthy systems and norms—such as resilient institutions, inclusive economies, and social trust—are more likely to flourish, while those that don’t face increased risk of future violent conflict.
The Rhodium Climate Outlook 2024 provides a probabilistic assessment of global emissions and energy trajectories through 2100, integrating uncertainty across economic, policy, and technology variables. It projects likely warming of 2.2–3.2°C under current policies but shows that if countries fulfill mid-century and expanded net-zero commitments, the probability of staying below 2°C rises to 96%. The report highlights innovation, equity, and policy acceleration as essential for achieving 2035 NDCs.
This piece offers guidance for companies on how to protect civic freedoms and support human rights defenders. It outlines the normative framework, business case, and moral considerations for corporate engagement, emphasizing the importance of understanding the reality and severity of harms, the company's involvement, and the context in which they operate.
This report uses the UN SDGs to assess U.S. sustainability progress, highlighting where the country is falling short—especially on inequality, climate, and declining trust in institutions. It emphasizes that public expectations are rising, and urges businesses to align with enduring values and evolving customer priorities through transparency, collaboration, and long-term strategy.
This briefing note defines systemic risk as cascading, cross-sectoral impacts that threaten the stability of interconnected global systems. Drawing on climate, disaster, and environmental science, it argues for integrating systems thinking into policy, data, and governance. It calls for anticipatory, inclusive, and transdisciplinary risk management that bridges research and decision-making, emphasizing relational information, adaptive learning, and resilience dividends.
Developed with Erb Institute’s Corporate Political Responsibility Taskforce, in consultation with academics and over 40 stakeholder groups from across the political spectrum, the Erb Principles for CPR offer a thought process for non-partisan, defensible decisions in turbulent times. The principles of legitimacy, accountability, responsibility, and transparency provide actionable and non-partisan approach to weighing when, how and why to engage in political affairs, to manage risk and advance long-term value creation for business and society.
This study develops a theoretical framework for understanding systemic risk induced by climate change, describing how cascading, interconnected hazards affect economies, societies, and institutions. It proposes a multidimensional assessment model for evaluating impact domains, severity, and probability, underscoring the importance of system resilience—an approach consistent with CPR’s emphasis on responsible stewardship of economic and civic systems.
This report examines the economics of action and inaction on climate, energy and the environment, and finds that failing to limit global warming to below 2°C could reduce cumulative global GDP by 15% to 34% by 2100. Conversely, the analysis suggested that investing 1% to 2% of global GDP in mitigation and adaptation efforts would significantly reduce these economic damages. They conclude that the net cost of inaction—climate change impacts minus the cost of action—is estimated at 11% to 27% of cumulative GDP, underscoring the economic imperative for proactive climate and energy strategies.
This collection of testimonials from business leaders, academics, investors, and advocates highlights the growing recognition of corporate political responsibility (CPR) as a business imperative. The Erb Principles for CPR are endorsed as a practical, nonpartisan framework to help companies align political activity with purpose, values, and democratic institutions. Testimonials emphasize CPR's role in managing reputational risk, supporting market stability, and safeguarding democracy—making it relevant for firms across sectors and political contexts.
Learn about new tools, insights and events to help you consider how CPR can help your company, clients or members.
