Draft European Sustainability Reporting Standards – ESRS G1: Business Conduct

This guide provides a framework for companies and NGO's to use to determine whether their lobbying practices are responsible.

The book opens by establishing the minimum expectation that businesses support the right rules of the game—those rewarding long-term value creation rather than destruction—and shows how companies can live their values through cross-sector collaboration, eco-efficiency, and strategies advancing prosperity, planet, and people, supported by real-world cases.

Mancur Olson’s classic work explains why individuals often fail to organize effectively around shared interests, even when collective action would benefit all. His “free rider” problem and distinction between small and large groups reshape understanding of labor unions, corporations, and political coalitions. Olson’s framework underlies modern theories of governance, lobbying, and institutional design—key foundations for Corporate Political Responsibility. 

Presents a framework for when companies should present forceful or tempered political positions based on their publicly stated values and materiality.

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.