VideoCorporate Political Responsibility Taskforce

How Companies Can Prepare Internally for CPR

Sarah Bonk & Richard Eidlin of Business for America

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On October 26, 2023, we spoke with Sarah Bonk and Richard Eidlin of Business for America to explore “CPR in Action: Addressing the Root Causes of Dysfunctional American Politics”

In the current tumultuous US political environment, business leaders are exploring ways to navigate heated debates and intensifying culture wars. When and how should they take action? How can they prepare internally? Are there ways business can help address the root causes of dysfunctional politics?

In this module, we explore:

  • What can companies do to prepare to deal with the cultural and political environment?
  • What are the challenges companies face in being proactive and anticipating risk?

The Corporate Political Responsibility Taskforce (CPRT)’s Expert Dialogues are in-depth, recorded conversations with academic experts, stakeholder advocates and business practitioners to provide our members and other CPR champions with the expertise and context they need to develop principled, proactive CPR strategies. We invite those interested in a constructive, non-partisan, principles-based discussion.

Sarah Bonk is the Founder and CEO of Business for America, a coalition of civic-minded business leaders and purpose-driven companies who are ready to take action and promote a government that works for all Americans. Bonk spent nearly 15 years at Apple, and has 20 years of experience in design, technology, and leadership at Fortune 500 companies. Richard Eidlin is BFA’s National Policy Director and a co-founder of the American Sustainable Business Council where he served as vice president for policy, directing state and national advocacy campaigns on the environment, tax, regulatory reform, campaign finance, and economic development.

The full transcript for this module is available here. 

Keywords: #CorporatePoliticalResponsibility #ESG #CivicEngagement #Polarization #CivicEngagement

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BookHarvard Business Review Press

Introduces the concept of “net positive advocacy,” which involves working with partners to advocate for policy that supports systemic solutions and net positive outcomes for all competitors. This requires courage and a shift in mindset, but actually helps de-risk both sustainable business strategies AND political interactions for companies. Their Readiness Test tool provides a useful conversation starter about the change in mindset required.  

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ReportWorld Resources Institute

As companies face increased pressure to advocate publicly for robust climate policies, this WRI report outlines three internal and four external barriers, including org charts and quarterly reports as well as trade associations and political winds, that present the biggest hurdles to implementation, and suggests ways to overcome them.

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WebsiteWorld Benchmarking Alliance

This framework is developed through a multi-stakeholder process and designed to gauge company progress against the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It provides succinct definitions for various core social indicators (CSIs), as well as a rubric to gauge company performance regarding these indicators. CSI 18 is their standard for responsible lobbying and political engagement, drawing from the Transparency International principles.

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ArticleHarvard Business Review

This article introduces the concept of “net positive advocacy,” which involves working with partners to advocate for policy that supports systemic solutions and net positive outcomes for all competitors. This requires courage and a shift in mindset, but actually helps de-risk both sustainable business strategies AND political interactions for companies. Their Readiness Test tool provides a useful conversation starter about the change in mindset required. 

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ReportWBCSD

This guide outlines nine clear pathways—like net-zero emissions, circular economy, and inclusive societies—across key sectors including energy, mobility, food, and manufacturing, providing businesses a strategic roadmap to embed sustainability in governance and operations for a thriving 2050 within planetary limits.

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ReportWBCSD

In a major refresh of its Vision 2050, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development argues that the decade ahead is critical if we are to achieve “9+ billion people living well within planetary boundaries.” They highlight the need to shift political and economic incentives that push companies into short-term behaviors that undermine societal or environmental systems, and propose a new CPR-driven mindset where firms align all policy influence activities to purpose statements and sustainability goals, partner to generate new policy ideas and help ensure relevant stakeholders are at the table.

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ReportThe Conference Board

A robust overview of current legal landscape for corporate political activity. It highlights the reputational and other risks companies need to manage, and the need for oversight and transparency to govern political spending.

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