Navigating Diverse Views on Sustainability Policy

This paper examines how the intersection of corporate governance and political engagement is reshaping business strategies and societal impact. It explores how factors like ESG investing, corporate activism, and political changes are pushing businesses into social issues, complicating the roles of shareholders vs. stakeholders, and blurring the lines between private and public power. The author offers new models for businesses and policymakers to navigate these evolving dynamics. 

This guide offers companies a research-backed climate communication strategy that emphasizes materiality over morality—framing climate action as a business necessity, not just ethical responsibility. Drawing on extensive surveys and focus groups from the US and abroad, it outlines how to connect with skeptical audiences by stressing the concrete, economic benefits of climate initiatives. 

This toolkit helps companies adopt practical transformational governance steps aligned with SDG 16 principles of peace, justice, and strong institutions. It includes a self-assessment tool to identify governance gaps, offers actionable recommendations, and focuses on board leadership, responsible lobbying, and sustainable investment strategies, enabling companies to improve transparency, reduce risks, and drive long-term societal impact. 

This executive presentation supports business leaders:

1. Understand the current threats to U.S. democratic institutions and their implications for business.
2. Analyze how political instability and the erosion of democratic values can directly affect your business environment.
3. Learn actionable steps that business leaders can implement to mitigate political risks and support the stability of U.S. democracy.

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.

This research paper provides data that shows the costs to companies of deciding not to speak up on certain issues and the negative stakeholder response to such decisions. The researchers theorize whether and when consumers will negatively respond to corporate silence on a social issue based on the visibility of silence. 

The report reframes ESG and social purpose from optional extras to strategic essentials—rooted in fiduciary duty, risk oversight, and long-term resilience. It gives boards a practical path to lead on systemic challenges by aligning incentives, embedding preparedness into planning, and focusing capital on future-facing risks.

This policy brief outlines the challenges of AI implementation and dissemination through various sectors of society, and provides policy recommendations for how to protect privacy, safety and ethics as AI adoption grows.

This report addresses the impact of increased political polarization and decreased trust in government, which has resulted in policy differences that affect long-term business planning. To take initiative, companies should rethink their approach to PAC giving and lobbying to support bipartisanship, systemic change, and a positive social impact. 

This note acknowledges the increased pressure on business to engage in politics and counsels corporate restraint.

To better understand how businesses are navigating this toxic political environment, Business for America (BFA) surveyed more than 50 business leaders across the country and sectors, from Fortune 500 executives to small business owners. The report reveals widespread concern about escalating political backlash, highlighting the difficult balance companies face between stakeholder demands and risks like boycotts, speech restrictions, and regulatory threats.

To rebuild election trust among conservative voters, this Johns Hopkins–R Street tool outlines three actionable principles: affirm past election integrity, increase process transparency, and improve election operations. It pairs these with Gallup-backed data to guide civic leaders—including business—on addressing doubts without heightening polarization.

Conducting corporate climate policy engagement positively and appropriately is critical to creating the conditions that will enable a company to achieve its net zero transition.  This briefing, produced by the Climate Governance Initiative in collaboration with the global think tank InfluenceMap, highlights the key issues that board directors should be aware of.