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ASBC Applauds Biden Climate & Infrastructure Plan, Urges Trump to Match It   

ASBC has applauded Vice President Joe Biden’s newly released Climate & Infrastructure Plan which allocates $2T to fuel green growth for America’s businesses, rebuild the nation’s deteriorated infrastructure and create 10 million new, union-level wage jobs. 

Highlights of Biden’s ambitious plan include setting a path to net-zero emissions by 2050, providing for an irreversible move to 100% renewable energy, incorporating strong actions to secure environmental justice, holding polluters accountable, and rallying the world to urgent and additional climate mitigation efforts.  

ASBC has also urged President Trump to reverse his current approach and provide an equally bold plan to protect our planet and reinvigorate our economy with an energy system for the 21st century. 

 

WHAT'S NEW

ASBC Launches Regenerative 
Agriculture Work Group 

Responding to the growing need for more planet-friendly, resilient and healthful food sourcing, ASBC has formed a new working group to address concerns and opportunities in this field. Under the provisional title, “Regenerative Agriculture & Sustainable Food Systems,” the group will develop coherent food and agricultural policy recommendations. To date, ASBC has invited more than 50 companies and organizations across a variety of sectors and functions to participate.

“ASBC will continue strong support for Sen. Gillibrand’s Small Farmers Relief Act,” says EVP Thomas Oppel. “With the game-changing national election coming up soon, we plan to produce related policies that address the basic needs of consumers and businesses.” 

Click to Tweet: Tell your rep. that more needs to be done to relieve small-businesses and small-scale farmers impacted by Covid-19 https://bit.ly/2NFI0KC 

 

ASBC and Partners Offer Economic Path Through Pandemic   

Absent a positive, unified federal plan, ASBC has released its recommendations for state and local governments on re-opening the economy. Implementing a majority of the recommended policies would provide both near-term economic stimulus and lasting social, environmental, and public benefit.

“Our state- and local-level governments could use our recommendations to help solve an array of structural problems the federal government has neglected for too long,” says ASBC President and Co-founder David Levine.

Since releasing the report, the Resilient Local Economies Intern Group has been disseminating the report through its channels and continuing to push state and local governments to implement these recommendations.

Click to Tweet: Need a better guide to reopen the economy? Steer your state and local governments to this one. Check out @ASBCouncil's state and local recommendations.

 

ASBC Supports Moving Forward Act for Green Infrastructure 

The Moving Forward Act (HR.2) is a $1.5T proposal to invest in sustainable infrastructure that will create millions of jobs, take powerful action against the climate crisis, and reduce inequities among communities across the nation. It is a crucial step in repairing America’s deteriorated infrastructure and driving economic recovery from COVID-19 through growth, employment, and certainty.

The Act was passed in the House of Representatives on July 2. Since then, ASBC has been informing & organizing our members to gather support for this urgently needed infrastructure bill. Watch for updates!

Click to Tweet: Join @ASBCouncil and tell your senators: Let’s get Moving Forward to rebuild our #infrastructure and our economy!  https://transportation.house.gov/imo/media/doc/BILLS-116HR2-RCP116-54.pdf 

 

Paid Leave Becomes Law in Colorado, Fails in NH 

Legislatures in Colorado and New Hampshire both passed paid leave bills this session, but the end results were unfortunately different. For the second straight year, New Hampshire’s Republican Governor Chris Sununu vetoed the paid leave bill. In contrast, Colorado did make its paid sick days bill law this month, despite criticism both from opponents and even some supporters of paid leave. Under the new law, Colorado workers can now earn up to 48 hours of paid sick time plus additional time during a public health emergency.

Only 14 states plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico require any amount of paid leave. In order of passage, states are: CT, CA, MA, OR, VT, A, WA, RI, MD, NJ, MI, NV and ME. (The federal government, NY, CO and NC have enacted temporary paid leave measures related to COVID-19.) Globally, only a few countries out of 193 do not require paid leave, and the U.S. is the only developed nation to lack this basic benefit. Support ASBC's Paid Sick Leave Campaign!

Click to Tweet: The U.S. is the ONLY developed country that lacks national paid sick leave, and 36 states have NOT filled this gap. How’s that working? Support the @ASBCouncil's FAMILY Act Campaign: https://www.asbcouncil.org/family-and-medical-leave-act

 

ASBC WORKING GROUPS IN ACTION

Creating an Economic System that Works for All

In early July, ASBC’s working group, Creating an Economic System that Works for All, held its fifth meeting under the leadership of ASBC Board Chair/CEO Jeffrey Hollender. One objective of this month’s meeting was to identify and refine the 10 most important business-related public policy initiatives required to create an economic system that works for all. Working group members also discussed how the group could best implement anti-racist policies integral to advancing a fully inclusive economy. These policies will be presented to the platform committees of the Democratic and Republican parties when they meet later this summer.

Sustainable Packaging 

ASBC’s Sustainable Packaging Working Group met July 8 under the leadership of EVP Thomas Oppel. Group members heard from guest Donna McAleer about the Bicycle Collective, a program that recycles unwanted bicycles to prevent additional metal being wastefully dumped into landfills. The working group also began plans to partner with other groups on a series of webinars to focus on our sustainable packaging work. First up will be a session on the principles the working group developed earlier this year.   

Climate & Energy

ASBC’s Climate & Energy Working Group met in July under the leadership of Michael Green, Climate Exchange. Special guest Alison Cassady, deputy staff director for the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, joined the meeting. She discussed the recently released House majority staff report on a congressional action plan to deal effectively with the climate crisis. Cassady’s prior experience included serving as managing director for energy and environment at the Center for American Progress, and working under Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA, ret.) in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

 

Media Coverage, Blogs, and More

ASBC Members: Let Us Help You
Share Your News!

ASBC is a values-based business networking group as well as a leading civic engagement organizer. A popular feature of this ASBC Policy Update is our monthly round-up of members’ news. Thousands of sustainability-minded decision-makers receive this eblast, and we also share select news items in ASBC’s social media outlets. Your new product introductions, location moves, awards, personnel changes, personal and business milestones and more: It’s all news we can use. Please include ASBC in your public relations outreach: Send your stories, blogs, photos or videos to Ali-Reza Vahabzadeh. ASBC is proud to support you all the way!

PLUS: Distinguish yourself and let your customers and community know your values. Display your “Proud Member of ASBC” logo on your website, signage and marketing materials. It makes a difference to today's conscious clients!

 

 

Upcoming Events

Launch & Briefing: Businesses for A Climate-Smart Recovery 
Webinar | August 6, 12 – 2 PM ET 
Will the pandemic recovery integrate environmental needs? Business can help steer. Join ASBC and partners as we launch a community initiative to advocate for a climate-smart recovery with a training on how you can become an effective climate advocate and a briefing on our plans and how you can help. This webinar kicks off with a special address by environmental activist and business influencer Tom Steyer. ASBC's EVP Thomas Oppel is a panelist.

A Briefing on the Biden Climate Plan with Tom Steyer
Webinar | August 12, 1 - 2 PM ET
Tom Steyer will present Vice President Joe Biden’s newly released Climate Plan to create 10 million new jobs, ensure transformative business development, and spur technological innovation that will fortify the nation in the face of an ever-worsening climate crisis. He will be joined by business leaders to offer thoughts on the business role and responsibility in addressing climate change and the opportunity for public/private partnership.

COVID-19 & Sustainability: Why We Need a Systems Approach 
Webinar | August 11, 1-2 PM ET 
The pandemic has shown us how COVID-19, climate change and economics are not separate issues but interrelated and their effects prove most damaging on small businesses and vulnerable communities. Join ASBC to discuss how systems thinking can be an essential tool for business leaders and policymakers worldwide to analyze the intersection between these issues. 

Worker Co-op Conference 
Philadelphia, PA | September 11 – 13 
The Worker Co-op Conference is the only national convening dedicated to worker ownership and workplace democracy. Coming together will be worker-owners, cooperative developers, policymakers, funders, and other allies, to make space for connection, education, skill-building, and sharing to improve the lives of workers and their families. 

The Responsible Business Summit New York 2020
Brooklyn, NY | September 21 – 22
The Summit New York 2020 will convene 750+ leaders from across the globe to share their latest strategies, and more importantly, tangible insights into how they are helping deliver the required transformation of business. Jeffrey Hollender will moderate the session: Case study: Restoration of the Natural Capital.   

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American Sustainable Business Council
712 H Street, NE, PMB 42 | Washington, District of Columbia  20002
202-660-1455 | replies@asbcouncil.org

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