This article explores the need for companies to think about political responsibility, not just social responsibility.
This article is a summary of a conversation hosted by Democratic Innovations at Yale's ISPS. Led by ISPS Director Alan Gerber and ISPS faculty fellows and political science professors Hélène Landemore and Adam Meirowitz, Democratic Innovations serves as a laboratory to identify and test new ideas for improving the quality of democratic representation and governance. It recaps insihgts from the conversation hosted by Landemore and Theophile Penigaud de Mourgues, a postdoctoral associate with Democratic Innovations, and Jonathan Moskovic, advisor in democratic innovation for the president of the French-speaking Brussels Parliament.
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.
This action plan outlines 10 clear steps for how insurers can lead on climate, setting it apart by emphasizing science-based targets, underwriting reform, and equitable resilience. It combines strategic, operational, and policy actions to help insurers align with net-zero goals while supporting vulnerable communities and driving systemic change.
The Civic Alliance is a nonpartisan coalition of more than 1,300 businesses united by a commitment to a thriving democracy, which they believe depends upon active participation in safe, accessible, and trusted elections.
Recognizing that the right policies enable companies to meet climate targets, this Framework introduces a structure that companies can use to ensure their advocacy efforts align with their climate priorities.
These guidelines offer key points for membership organisations to consider when designing and implementing climate policies, including Internal Policy Positions, Expectations and Requirements of Members, and External Policy Positions. They are aligned with the Race to Zero 5th P criteria, ISO Net Zero Guidelines and serve as a companion to the Business Associations Climate Action Guide for organisations.
This article draws on Taylor's book, Higher Ground, outlining the main drivers of politicization in the workplace, and several strategies for navigating them, such as emphasizing individual freedom of choice around political views, and engaging employees in setting priority topics.
It offers a list of questions for identifying when a company should prioritize a political issue, based on its relevance to the business, its values and its public commitments. Ultimately, Taylor recommends embedding ethical deliberation into everyday operations rather than issuing reactive or superficial statements.
This brief analyzes legal, political, and reputational pressures facing corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives amid rising polarization and litigation risk. It outlines governance considerations, risk exposure, and communication strategies for companies navigating contested regulatory and political landscapes.
This report engages more deeply with global stakeholder expectations for lobbying disclosure, detailing calls for transparency not only on spending but also on lobbying positions, trade association memberships, and alignment with sustainability goals. It argues that voluntary disclosures remain inconsistent and insufficient, and recommends standardized reporting frameworks to strengthen trust, accountability, and policy coherence.
This report highlights the strong investor demand for transparency in political spending, with lobbying transparency proposals receiving 31% median support in 2024, highlighting pressure for corporate accountability post-Citizens United.
This report reveals that since 2010, U.S. corporations and trade associations have contributed over $1 billion—more than 40% of total funds—to six influential "527" political organizations, significantly impacting state-level elections and policies, often in ways that conflict with their publicly stated values and pose reputational risks.
This book develops a “person-based” theory of the corporation as a social and political actor within democratic society. It examines corporate personhood, legal rights, and the firm’s obligations to democratic norms, arguing that firms have specific duties beyond their business interests, or even their interests in competitive markets.
Why this resource matters
It deepens CPR’s conceptual foundation by examining the legitimate bases (and duties) that guide corporate political influence from a principled perspective.
This CPR Decision Tool and Executive Conversation Guide is part of a suite of tools and resources that make it easier for companies to take a principled and responsible approach to a specific public affairs decision. Specifically, it is meant to help them apply the Erb Principles for CPR to weigh whether and how to engage in a specific political scenario.
The EU’s new AI Act—the world’s first legal framework for artificial intelligence requires companies to treat AI as a real risk, with rules around labeling AI content, ensuring human oversight, protecting data, and monitoring system performance. With steep penalties for noncompliance and similar U.S. guidance emerging, the piece urges boards and leaders to bring AI under the umbrella of existing risk, ethics, and governance frameworks—treating it not as a tech issue, but as a core part of responsible corporate strategy.
Outlines steps for companies to implement non-partisan time-off policies for voting, covering legal compliance, leadership support, clear policy creation, and promoting civic engagement through flexible schedules.
Drawing on insights from over 500 directors, NACD highlights five governance dilemmas boards must navigate in 2025—including balancing innovation with risk, long-term strategy with short-term pressures, and engagement vs neutrality on social issues. It also addresses the debate over prioritizing subject-matter expertise versus leadership experience in director recruitment.
This CCLI guide explains how U.S. directors’ fiduciary duties intersect with climate risk, disclosure, and evolving sustainability standards. It highlights legal expectations under SEC rules and emerging case law, urging boards to integrate climate oversight into corporate governance, strengthen transparency, and align decision-making with long-term value creation and the stability of the systems business depends on.
This briefing is the first in a series that applies effective corporate climate engagement to a particular sector - in this case, transportation. The brief provides five key facts board directors need to know about corporate climate policy engagement in relation to road transport; a snapshot of the current policy and corporate advocacy landscape for road transport and five steps board directors can take to support effective corporate climate policy engagement in the automotive and trucking industries.
