The mission of American Sustainable Business Council is to advance public policies that ensure a vibrant, just, and sustainable economy. We do this in two ways: first, by communicating to businesses, policy makers, and the media how a just and sustainable economy is good for business and good for America; Second, we provide a platform that enables our Partners to engage their members (who are executives, owners, investors, entrepreneurs, and business professionals) in the public debate.
Components of this collaborative platform include:
- Identify opportunities for Partners to engage in supporting fundamental economic transformation, at times before legislation is crafted and the possibilities are obvious to all.
- Coalesce and then bring forward the views of Partners and their members to inform the policy-setting process.
- Design and execute campaigns that actively engage Partners and their members in issue-based education and the policy-making process.
- Create media exposure so that spokespeople from the business community are made visible by the media to the public at large, as a means of showing the public a new set of options for a better future.
- Maintain a proactive presence in Washington to help Partners understand and track the issues that are important to them.
Our Principles
American Sustainable Business Council believes that sustainable economic development is compatible with shared prosperity, environmental protection, and social justice. Moreover, it is essential from both a moral and pragmatic standpoint to restructure our economy to achieve this balance. We believe business must play a critical and positive role in our society. At the same time, government must play a role in ensuring that markets are well-structured and that public resources are invested with vision and stewardship.
We believe government should empower the engines of our economy—businesses and social enterprises—to be the agents of recovery and revitalization. By removing obstacles, creating incentives, providing support, and partnering, government can help create an enabling environment in which restorative, equitable, and sustainable economic models can thrive. This approach will unleash the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation across all sectors and disciplines to confront and solve America's economic, social, and environmental problems.
Sustainability:
We must manage our economy to meet the needs of the current generation without impairing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. This means stewardship, judicious use of resources, reinvestment, and attention to sustainability through the full lifecycle and the whole system. We cannot take from tomorrow to boost output today.
Broad prosperity:
It is both a moral imperative and a matter of national self-interest to run the economy in a way that offers all Americans, regardless of their economic standing, race, religion, or gender, full opportunity to participate and prosper. The economy must tap the capabilities, creativity, and industriousness of all Americans.
Market-based economy:
A market-based business system built on integrity and honesty, must remain the heart of our economy. Competition and collaboration throughout the market spurs innovation and efficiency and allocates resources efficiently. Market-based approaches that account for environmental and social concerns are essential.
Public protection:
It is the proper role of government to be vigilant in protecting consumers, through stronger consumer protection legislation and tough penalties for companies that violate consumer, worker, and environmental protection laws, without eliminating a strong market incentive to innovate or operate efficiently and safely.
Democratic Engagement:
The economy should be structured and managed to be fair, transparent, well regulated, and accountable to all participants.