The American Sustainable Business Council family of organizations includes American Sustainable Business Council, which runs public information campaigns that educate and inform the public and policy makers about specific opportunities to create a more vibrant, just and sustainable economy, and American Sustainable Business Council Action Fund, organized under IRS code 501(c)(4), which focusses on legislative and regulatory advocacy. The Council spans a growing network of over 60 business associations across the United States, representing over 165,000 businesses and 300,000 business executives, owners, investors, and others.
The mission of American Sustainable Business Council is to advance public policies that foster a vibrant, just, and sustainable economy. We do this in two ways: first, we research and communicate to businesses, policy makers, and the media how a sustainable economy based on broad prosperity is good for business and good for America. Second, we provide a platform that enables businesses and business associations to engage executives, owners, investors, entrepreneurs, and other business professionals in the public debate.
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 pragmatic and moral 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.
Broad prosperity:
It is both a matter of national self-interest and a moral imperative 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 or we cannot compete successfully in global markets.
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.
