Influencing Power: Reviewing the conduct and content of corporate lobbying
Influencing Power: Reviewing the conduct and content of corporate lobbying
describes the results of a SustainAbility and WWF research project
reviewing how 100 of the world’s largest companies report on their
lobbying practices. Our objective was to assess corporate transparency
on lobbying and public policy behaviour, and the degree to which
reported activities align with core business values.
Influencing Power follows on from our 2000 publication, Politics and Persuasion,
which made the then bold claim that corporate responsibility practices
should be explicitly linked with a company’s lobbying and public policy
activities.
Perhaps the most striking finding of the recent research is that
approximately 50% of major companies are now providing at least some
information on their lobbying and public policy activities. However,
the report also finds that most companies strike an overwhelmingly
defensive tone, asserting their right to lobby and their positions on
particular issues. This approach we characterise as 'second generation'
corporate responsibility, where the main driver is risk management.
The report advocates the shift to a 'third generation' approach
which views corporate responsibility as a strategic differentiator and
recognises the potential for lobbying to help drive stronger social and
environmental policy frameworks in support of core business activities.
Since the launch of Influencing Power in July 2005, we have
presented key messages from the report at a number of events including:
More detail on these events is available through the links on the right.
