News

Joint Press Release – Washington, D.C. & Brussels – for Wednesday, November 2nd/2022

Media Contacts: 

• Aleta Edward Senior American Sustainable Business Network  aleta@asbnetwork.org – https://www.asbnetwork.org/ 
• Victor Meseguer, Director of Social Economy Europe - https://www.socialeconomy.eu.org/ 

Attachments:

Washington, DC — Today, American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN), a movement builder organization committed to inform, connect, and mobilize the business and investor community toward a sustainable economy, launched Business for Democracy, a national campaign to raise the trusted voice of small business on the need to strengthen and protect American democracy. 

ASBN is excited to announce the organization will welcome Aleta Edwards onto the team as the Sr. Manager, Communications and Storytelling. 

Edwards has more than ten years experience managing public relations assets for higher education, government, nonprofit and broadcast organizations. During this time, she leveraged meaningful storytelling to communicate organizational goals, developed branded content for various channels, led crisis communications efforts, and produced speeches and talking points for executive leadership.

Washington, DC – The American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN) supports President Biden’s call on the Senate to change its rules in whatever way is necessary to pass voting rights legislation to protect the fundamentals of American democracy. Democracy is the cornerstone of our economy. While the Senate continues to debate voting rights legislation, it is critical to note that business owners’ voices in many states are being suppressed, particularly those in communities of color.

Washington, DC – The American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN) released the following statement on the first anniversary on the January 6, 2021 attacks on the U.S. Capitol. 

Last year’s assault on our nation’s Capitol was a violent and horrifying representation of the ongoing and serious attacks on our democracy. Without a healthy and functioning democracy, business as we know it cannot survive, because democracy and U.S. businesses are existentially linked. 

Washington, DC – Businesses for Conservation and Climate Action (BCCA) today hails our founding member the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island Tribal Government’s nomination of a new National Marine Sanctuary surrounding the Pribilof Islands. If designated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this Marine Sanctuary would be the first in Alaska and the first established on the basis of government-to-government co-management between the United States and a federally recognized tribe. 

Washington, DC – The American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN) announced its enthusiastic support for today’s executive order (EO) that seeks to reestablish the federal government as a leader in sustainability and transform Federal procurement and operations and secure a transition to clean, zero-emission technologies. This is expected to result in a carbon pollution-free electricity sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050. 

Washington, D.C. —  Earlier today, Senator Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Protect America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act to amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to fully protect the safety of children, workers, and the environment and to remove dangerous pesticides from use in the U.S.

Washington, D.C. — The American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) and Social Venture Circle (SVC) have been reporting from Glasgow on the proceedings of COP26 for the past two weeks and reporting regularly at https://www.asbcouncil.org/blog, where yesterday’s final post was shared in a post titled “Glasgow Moves the Needle on Climate Crisis and Creates Pathways for Ambition and Optimism.” 

Washington, DC – The disappointing misuse of the filibuster in the Senate again today underscores the urgent need to reform the rules by which government operates. The fact that the filibuster was used to sidestep voting on an issue as central to democracy as voting rights underscores its importance to the survival of our country, upon which citizen involvement in voting was a founding premise.

Washington, DC – The American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) and Social Venture Circle (SVC) announced support of progress to advance President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda into law as the framework for an agreement of about $1.85 trillion takes shape.  

Frank Knapp, Jr. wrote an op-ed in American Banker in support of SBA direct lending.  “Private lenders do not want to make small startup and microloans, especially in rural and underserved communities, and particularly to entrepreneurs of color and women. ”

Following a press call on Oct 4 co-hosted by ASBC, Politico concluded that Business Roundtable [and Chamber of Commerce] are not “the only game in town,” noting the strong support by American businesses for investments to mitigate and avert climate change.

Washington, D.C. — With markup by the Ways & Means Committee scheduled to begin on September 14 of the proposed $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill before it, the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) and Social Venture Circle (SVC) initiated a campaign to demonstrate support from American businesses. Within the first hours of the campaign more than 100 businesses had signed on signaling strong endorsement of the necessary investments in America’s infrastructure.

Washington, DC — The American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) applauds the House passage of federal voting rights legislation, which will further protect our democracy. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA) defends the most basic right in a democracy, the right to choose who will serve us in government, which has been under attack in dozens of states. The John Lewis VRAA restores protections first provided in the 1965 Voting Rights Act, but which have been gutted by two recent Supreme Court decisions.

The American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) congratulates the Senate and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on moving forward with both elements of an historic package based on President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda to improve both physical and human infrastructure and address climate change.

Washington, D.C. — Since the introduction of vaccination options to limit the spread and risk of the pandemic, American businesses have had a global advantage to keep their most valuable assets, their people, healthy. This has been a major contributor to the strong recovery of our economy, keeping business enterprises open and running.  As business operators know, if they don’t have the people needed to serve customers, or produce or distribute products, they will shut down or scale back.

Washington, D.C. — The American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) and business members from around the country came together virtually last week for a D.C. fly-in with several members of Congress and their staff to advocate for solutions and policies that support an equitable, sustainable, stakeholder economy. The visits were timed to take place in the middle of Senate negotiations, including a procedural floor vote, on the bipartisan infrastructure agreement, considered an important first step toward President Biden’s Build Back Better platform.

Washington, D.C.— The American Sustainable Business Council and its collaboration partners Businesses for Conservation & Climate Action announced today its support of the USDA’s announced plan to restore and expand protections for Southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. Their plan will help to reverse the Trump-era action that exempted 9.3 million acres of the Tongass from the 2001 Roadless Rule.

Washington, D.C. — The American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) and the 250,000 responsible businesses, business coalitions, and investors we represent are deeply disappointed with the decisions today of the U.S. Supreme Court that erode voting rights and transparency. These rulings are an important reminder of why ASBC has supported the For the People Act to protect and expand voting rights and impose additional transparency in campaign finance.

Washington, D.C.— As American businesses increasingly focus on how they must contribute to a more just and sustainable economy and environment, the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) and Social Venture Circle (SVC) are pleased to announce their newest members since the two organizations entered a strategic union in September 2020. Recognizing the urgency to apply their focus on the pervasive issues of climate and energy, infrastructure, business for democracy, race and equity, circular economy, and the High Road workplace, these businesses are leaders in their sectors.

The bipartisan deal to arrive at a infrastructure deal is very much a partial deal on behalf of Americans who have been most neglected by America’s policies. While it signals that our government is willing work together towards economic competitiveness on physical infrastructure, it neglects the key tenets of the Administration’s original proposal that prioritize people, such as paid leave, universal pre-K, and credits for poorer families.

While the decision by every Republican Senator to block even beginning debate is disappointing, as of this writing the For the People Act S1 remains an open question, however, one we must answer with a resounding yea. This is the beginning of a long journey ahead to transform our democracy into one that represents, reflects, and serves all of us. 

Washington, DC — Today the Department of the Interior (DOI) issued its highly anticipated report called for by President Biden’s executive order on combating the climate crisis at home and abroad. The report outlines the stakeholder engagement approaches and principles that are to be used by the administration in achieving its broad conservation goals in the coming years.

Washington, D.C. — After years of advocacy on behalf of a permanent, national paid family and medical leave benefit that would put the U.S. on par with nearly every other developed country in the world, the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) applauds steps being proposed by President Biden and the House Ways and Means Committee to move us closer to that goal.

Washington, D.C. — The American Sustainable Business Council is relieved that Derek Chauvin has been held accountable for the murder of George Floyd. Our prayer is that this will bring some small measure of peace and comfort for Mr. Floyd’s family, as we wish the best for them and the friends of Mr. Floyd. 

But this should be a beginning, not an end. Holding police accountable should not be a singular event. Achieving justice must not be a special occasion. We must take the next step to assuring, as Mr.

Washinton, D.C. — The American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) and Social Venture Circle (SVC) refuse to perpetuate mass incarceration, systemic racism, and human rights abuses through the offering and purchase of taxable municipal bonds offered today for sale by the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) through the Wisconsin Public Finance Authority in a deal underwritten by Barclays.

Washington, DC – The American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) applauds a newly proposed initiative to repurpose a retired coal-fired power plant in New Mexico to use hydrogen as fuel. Upcycling retired power generation facilities such as this project has many benefits.

The White House Initiative on Inclusive Economic Growth is a new, broad-based coalition of nearly 50 organizations focused on stakeholder capitalism, corporate social and environmental responsibility, sustainable finance, community development finance, and capital markets structural reform.

Columbia, SC, March 23, 2021—The number of commercial banks has decreased 68% since 1980.  Only 4,600 banks exist today because “many smaller sized banks have disappeared during this period, via mergers or failures” according to a report released this month by the Office of Advocacy.

 Washington, D.C. — The American Sustainable Business Council applauds Secretary Deb Haaland as the first Native American Cabinet member in U.S. history, leading the Interior Department. We are dedicated to co-creating an equitable, sustainable and thriving stakeholder economy for all. Our coalition-focused approach to solving the pervasive and systemic issues of climate and energy, infrastructure, circular economy, and co-creating a high-road economy, are all seen through the collaborative lens of racial equity and justice.

WASHNIGTON, D.C. — The American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) applauds the House passage of the For the People Act (H.R. 1) and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 (H.R.

Washington, D.C. — Today the American Sustainable Business Council congratulated Secretary Vilsack on his confirmation to lead the United States Department of Agriculture. ASBC’s Regenerative Agriculture and Justice Working Group brings together business leaders from industries throughout the agricultural value chain, advocacy organizations, and groups representing farmers, workers, and frontline communities to advance policy.