Why CPR Matters to Shareholders

Rick Alexander & Sara Murphy of The Shareholder Commons

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On July 22, 2021, we spoke with Rick Alexander and Sara Murphy of The Shareholder Commons to explore “Why Diversified Shareholders Must Mobilize to Ensure ESG Includes Corporate Political Responsibility (CPR).”

Boards, executives and investment managers are working to address evolving shareholder interest in environmental, social and governance issues. Yet few have yet focused on the particular interest that “universal owners” -- large institutional investors with diversified portfolios that have a financial interest in the well-being of the economy as a whole -- in greater corporate political responsibility.

In this module, we explore:

• Why does CPR matter to shareholders?
• Why is CPR pivotal to the success of a diversified portfolio?

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.

The Shareholder Commons is tackling capital system failures that are endangering our common future. By harnessing the power of universal owners—large institutional investors with diversified portfolios that have a financial interest in the well-being of the economy as a whole—TSC works to ensure our capital markets give priority to long term systemic health over individual company profits, in ways that enable all managers to operate at a base level of responsibility without having to individually balance profit and social cost.

Keywords: #CPRLong-termShareholderValue #CPAMarketFailures #CPRSystemicReasons #CPRBarriers #CPRPracticesResponsibility