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Overview

Race and Equity Working Group

ASBC’s Race and Equity Working Group was created to address the inequities prevalent and pervasive in the economic and social construct of the United States and to hold our legislators accountable to social and economic justice. We ensure that the dignity and respect of diverse perspectives, voices and values of a multicultural America are heard and reflected in ASBC’s policy work toward creating an equitable and compassionate economy for all. It collaborates with ASBC’s policy team to gather support on issues that have a disparate impact on minority communities, inclusive of, but not exclusive to, African Americans, Latinx, Asian Americans, Native Americans, LGBTQ, Veterans, and People With Disabilities. For minority-owned businesses and representatives of organizations that serve communities of color, issues such as access to capital, income inequality, criminal justice reform, economic development opportunities, clean environment, and responsible workplace are high priorities.

The Race and Equity Working Group will:

  • work on important issues to help level the playing field, define policy where there is none, and back those initiatives that eliminate discriminatory practices, and help improve the economic health and well-being of traditionally marginalized sectors of society;
  • work to link members, issues, and legislators to advocate for policies that foster an equitable and just economy;
  • provide support to local initiatives and campaigns that align with our business goals
  • develop op-eds and provide spokespersons to the media and policymakers
  • actively recruit minority-owned business voices.

The Race and Equity Working Group holds a quarterly call/meeting to surface ideas, issues and strategies for moving forward an agenda that serves the growth needs of minority-owned businesses and healthy communities. When necessary, it will also convene subgroups to tackle specific issues

“BUSINESS CONFRONTS RACISM”

On June 9, REWG launched its “Business Confronts Racism” campaign to address the current and urgent crises of institutional and systemic racism at every level of society that have been exposed over recent months. Out of an overwhelming response from our business community to identify, prioritize, and implement solutions, we have created a set of subgroups that meet monthly and include:

Group 1: Protecting the Election
Group 2: Community Investment
Group 3: Confronting Racism On A Local Level
Group 4: Policing and Federal Policies 
Group 5: Investor Responsibility 
Group 6: Racism and the Food System

Current Actions:

If you are interested in participating in our efforts to find solutions we can put to work for our “Business Confronts Racism” campaign, please contact Ali-Reza Vahabzadeh, ASBC Vice President of Membership.

Media Release

The American Sustainable Business Council Businesses Calls for an End to Preventable Childhood Cancers
“Childhood Cancer” Report Builds The Business Case For Systemic Change

WASHINGTON, DC,  September 23, 2020 – The American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) joined the rally cry to end preventable childhood cancers, encouraging business leaders to take action to support The Childhood Cancer Prevention Initiative, a collaborative effort to improve children’s health by widely sharing the evidence about the impacts of toxic chemicals on children, as well as opportunities for preventing childhood cancer by removing toxic chemicals from products and environments where children live, learn and play.

Media Release

American Sustainable Business Council And Social Venture Circle Unite
Contact: Chrystie Heimert
802.338.2556
cheimert@asbcouncil.org

New Strategic Alliance Will Significantly Boost Efforts to
Remake & Revitalize the American Economy

WASHINGTON, DC,  September 16, 2020—The American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC), the nation’s foremost business advocate for an environmentally safe and equitable economy announced today a strategic alliance with Social Venture Circle (SVC), the country’s foremost social impact networking organization.

Event

Revolutionizing Accounting with George Serafeim
Webinar

Reimagining capitalism is an imperative. We need to create a more inclusive and sustainable form of capitalism that works for every person and the planet. Massive environmental damage, growing income and wealth disparity, stress, and depression within developed economies amid a substantial economic boom are examples of how our current system of creating and distributing value is broken. We need to be able to factor into our decision-making the consequences of our actions not only for financial and physical capital but also for human, social and natural capital.

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Race and Equity Working Group

ASBC’s Race and Equity Working Group was created to address the inequities prevalent and pervasive in the economic and social construct of the United States and to hold our legislators accountable to social and economic justice. We ensure that the dignity and respect of diverse perspectives, voices and values of a multicultural America are heard and reflected in ASBC’s policy work toward creating an equitable and compassionate economy for all.

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Small Business

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Media Release

ASBC Strongly Endorses the Clean Water for All Act as Good for Business and the Economy

Washington, DC – The American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) today strongly endorsed the Clean Water for All Act as good for business and the economy.

The legislation, introduced by U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio and (D-OR) and U.S. Representative Grace Napolitano (D-CA), is aimed at repealing the Navigable Waters Protection Rule finalized by the EPA in April that severely limited the scope of the Clean Water Act.

Policy

Small Business PPP Outreach to Congress

“We have kept all of our employees on payroll and benefits throughout this ordeal in the hope and expectation that someone in Washington was paying attention and would do the right thing by supporting us in supporting our employees and the economy…. We are trying to keep our business and the economy from tanking. Can we get a little bit of help here?”

Lloyd Smith, Cortech Solutions, North Carolina

Media Release

ASBC Announces Principles for Packaging Waste System Changes in the US

Washington, DC – The American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) today released principles to guide systemic changes needed to reduce packaging waste in the United States. Developed by a working group of business and association leaders, the principles are designed to guide improved business practices, regulations and legislation. The 20-member working group participants included Clif Bar, Green America, Lego, Method and Seventh Generation among others.

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Sustainable Packaging Working Group

The Sustainable Packaging Working group brings together a wide variety of key stakeholders as ASBC works to tackle the waste crisis, especially plastic waste, in the United States. Environmentally-focused organizations and business leaders from across the nation collaborate to help guide our Packaging Waste Reduction campaign, with a focus on both federal and state level policies.

Blog Mary Wynn RyanExecutive Editor, ASBC

White-Hat Lobbyist Fights the Good Fight

Business values stable conditions, but today’s economic, social and environmental conditions are neither stable nor sustainable. How do you make progress on a large scale when enormously powerful decision-makers block the way? That’s an urgent question.