As more investors consider risks related to climate change and a just energy transition, and California and the European Union implement new Scope 3 reporting, companies are being pressed to develop concrete action plans to achieve net zero or other environmental targets. Though these plans focus on operations, supply chains, and products or services, firms […]
Companies have become increasingly powerful political players in recent decades, using their political clout to influence public policy on social, economic and environmental issues – often behind closed doors and too often, in ways that undermine the public interest. In his new book, Corporate Political Responsibility, Tom Lyon and a series of leading scholars of […]
In their recent Harvard Business Review article, Strategy in a Hyperpolitical World, Roger L. Martin and Martin Reeves argue, “Almost everything about business today is political, in the sense that it requires consideration of a wide range of often controversial ethical, social and ecological issues.” Many executives know this reality all too well, as […]
As technology platforms provide more and more of the “public square” for civic discourse and debate, their actions will be critical as voters weigh choices in 2024 election in the US and around the world. Now, with the accelerated adoption of AI, technology will have an even greater role in averting electoral crises and navigating […]
Dr. Rajiv Shah (BS ’95) is president of The Rockefeller Foundation, a global institution with a mission to promote the well-being of humanity around the world. Shah will discuss his new book, “Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens” (Simon & Schuster, 2023), and how universities can embrace a big bets mindset of transformative change, especially […]
As businesses seek to balance shifting expectations from stakeholders ranging from investors and legal counsel to customers and employees, they’re increasingly exploring how a principled structure for political activities can help increase business resilience and sustainability. In her recent work developing more than 30 case studies on corporate sustainability, Angeli Patel has discovered three indicators […]
An invitation to executives to manage risk, maintain stability and take non-partisan action to ensure the health of our civic institutions The 2024 General Election is approaching fast. Across the country, voters will go to the polls in a political landscape that is increasingly polarized and volatile. With energized stakeholders looking for companies to lead, […]
Trade associations are key players in helping businesses and industry sectors deliver on ambitious sustainability goals, stakeholder priorities, and an ultimate interest in a healthy environment. In these efforts, public policy is a critical lever. As a natural vehicle for industry advocacy on sustainability policy, trade associations lobby and sometimes make political contributions. Yet, specific […]
As more companies face challenges related to ESG and DEI initiatives, some are pulling back on investments and hesitating to take public stances on issues. But prevailing public sentiment and market indicators rebuke the conventional idea that business leaders must choose between profit and purpose. Increasingly, the numbers — factual and financial — show the […]
The communications and actions of companies and industries influence policy outcomes, including policies that affect people’s health, positively or negatively, directly or indirectly. One example of a large-scale industry with both influence and dependency upon policy outcomes is the U.S. firearms industry. Lecturer in Inequalities and Global Health Policy Nason Maani recently worked on a […]
