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Support for socially responsible investment strategies and business practices continues to run high among the general public. Yet environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles remain a political football in the United States. The anti-ESG movement is still running strong, but some state legislators already have second thoughts as the consequences of anti-ESG laws come into view.

Public sentiment vs. political motivation

In a 2023 survey, 77 percent of respondents across 12 countries agreed it is "important for companies to take action on ESG issues," and 71 percent said companies should "speak out on issues that are important to their employees and customers." When presenting the findings, researchers with the strategic communications firm SEC Newgate offered this takeaway for global firms: “Take action on ESG and tell people about it, or risk losing customers.”

Forbes noted similar trends in its second annual Best Brands for Social Impact list released in partnership with the consumer research firm HundredX in April. “Last year, 22 percent of respondents offered strong positive or negative feelings about brands' social impact," Forbes observed. "This year that figure jumped to 27 percent." 

This statistically significant increase supports brands that center their corporate identity on the four ratings included in the list: overall brand values and trust, social stances, sustainability, and community support. The 2024 results indicate “consumers might actually be considering companies' efforts more than they have in the past,” Forbes found.

That forceful statement by Forbes contrasts with the partisan political environment against ESG principles. According to the advisory firm Pleiades Strategy, 318 pieces of legislation were introduced in 38 U.S. states between 2021 and 2023 with the aim of preventing companies and investors from taking the climate crisis and other widely recognized ESG risk factors into consideration.

In one sign that the anti-ESG movement is not particularly popular beyond the statehouse door, many of these bills failed to move off the floor. As of April, only 37 bills in 17 states are now law, according to Pleiades' tracking. Of those that did pass, the original scopes were often narrowed in response to opposition and the risk of skyrocketing costs for borrowing. Pleiades lists business, labor, financial officers, and environmental advocates among those actively working to limit the damage.

Less competition spells trouble for municipal bonds

Concerns over the negative consequences of anti-ESG legislation center on the economic impacts that come with driving competition out of state financial markets. By nature, restricting which financial firms can do business with state and local entities means fewer firms to choose from, which can lead to higher costs and lower returns.

Those concerns were quickly realized in Texas, which adopted anti-ESG legislation in 2021. The law soon became notorious for costing the small Texas city of Anna (population 23,558) more than $277,000 on its bond sale as interest in the sale dried up. 

Beyond the damage to a small municipality’s finances, the added expense can have a ripple effect on a local government’s ability to finance projects that build more efficiency, resiliency and long-term savings into their community.

Those concerns have already surfaced in the small city of Stillwater, Oklahoma (population 49,160). Last spring, the city was on track to receive a low-interest loan of $13.5 million from Bank of America when it was tripped up by the state’s new Energy Discrimination Elimination Act, S&P Global reports.

The loan was intended to pay for new energy-efficient lighting and upgrade two outdated heating and cooling systems in municipal buildings, resulting in an energy savings that would pay off the loan in 15 years. “That plan was halted when Oklahoma Treasurer Todd Russ in May published an initial list of 13 financial institutions, including Bank of America, barred from doing business in the state,” S&P reporter Karin Rives observed.

Anti-ESG laws negatively impact rural communities, study finds

The Oklahoma anti-ESG law does provide some room for waiver in case of financial harm. However, amendments advancing in the current legislative session could burden financial officers with additional requirements.

The business organization Oklahoma Rural Association is among those pushing back on the new amendments. It underscored the actual and potential economic harm that anti-ESG legislation poses to small cities and rural communities in a widely reported study released last week.

The study, conducted by the University of Central Oklahoma, compares borrowing costs in the Sooner State with communities in neighboring states that did not pass anti-ESG legislation.

The findings? Borrowing costs for municipalities in Oklahoma increased by 15.7 percent relative to similar out-of-state communities after the Energy Discrimination Elimination Act passed in 2022. Almost $184 million in additional expenses have already been “locked away” as a result of the legislation, according to the analysis. That works out to almost $11 million for every month the law has been in effect.

“This is due strictly to increased borrowing costs and elevated coupon rates,” wrote Travis Roach, author of the study and chair of the university's department of economics. “Municipalities in Oklahoma now face an additional cost that is a direct result of the [Energy Discrimination Elimination Act] policy and not due to underlying interest rate fundamentals.”

In some cases, this caused delays and outright abandonment of projects intended to benefit smaller communities with infrastructure upgrades and other quality-of-life improvements, such as the energy-efficiency upgrade planned for Stillwater.

“These foregone projects would benefit the community but now they cannot, and these foregone and delayed projects harm the economic opportunities for those who would have been hired to complete the projects,” Roach concluded.

Next steps for ESG investing

As demonstrated in Oklahoma and elsewhere, some legislators who vociferously support anti-ESG legislation have later tempered their stand as these bills move through the legislative process. Some continue feeding rhetorical red meat to their voting base while adjusting their legislative strategy to avoid making taxpayers foot the bill.

That’s a delicate needle to thread, but it also provides an opportunity for financial institutions to adjust. Some have worked around inflammatory rhetoric by reducing or eliminating the use of the acronym “ESG” in corporate and public communications, while continuing to pursue ESG goals.

Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management, has also spotted an opportunity in the anti-ESG movement. “We think the fact that some other people are pulling away gives us a better opportunity to kind of phase in,” he told CNBC last week, indicating that firms like his are ready to step in when others drop the ESG ball. Norges manages the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global, one of the largest investors in the world. 

Tangen also refocused the conversation on the common-sense foundations of ESG investing, particularly as it relates to environmental sustainability. “We think it is part of long-term investing," he said. "You really need to care [about] the impact that companies have on the environment, otherwise you’re not going to make good long-term investing."

Despite the legislative activity against ESG investing, the overall momentum is building in support of business and investment strategies that emphasize long-term thinking and sustainability over short-term profits.

Another wave of anti-ESG legislation is already underway. But 2024 polling from Morgan Stanley points to a widening gulf between public sentiment and partisan lawmaking: More than 70 percent of individual investors said they believe “strong ESG practices can lead to higher returns,” and more than half plan to increase their sustainable investment portfolios.

More than 34,000 people gathered in Barcelona last week for a massive trade show focused on seafood, the world's most widely traded commodity, valued at over $236 billion. Yet behind Seafood Expo Global’s bustling exhibition halls, dealmaking and receptions, the industry faces a sobering reckoning.

In the past few weeks, an Associated Press investigation revealed evidence of forced labor, child labor and environmental degradation throughout India's shrimp supply chain, including its farms, peeling sheds and processing plants. Another report found that North Korean workers are being forcibly sent to Chinese factories where they endure beatings and sexual abuse and have their wages taken by the state. Last week he European Union also approved a ban on products made from forced labor, a step partly driven by evidence that Chinese seafood products involve the exploitation of the country’s Uyghur Muslim minority.

The intersection of environmental and social responsibility in seafood

This steady rise in reported human rights and labor abuses serves as a wake-up call to companies of all sizes. After decades of hard work to become environmentally responsible companies, some may be tempted to hit the snooze button when it comes to the “human factor.” But the hard truth is that supermarkets, restaurants and other seafood businesses can no longer afford to take their time on this issue. Rather, in the face of this sea change, businesses must accelerate efforts to eradicate human and labor rights abuses from their supply chains or risk a tidal wave of consumer backlash, reputational damage, legal consequences, and loss of market access.

After all, it’s become increasingly clear that environmental and social responsibility are two sides of the same coin. If a company is treating people poorly, it most likely doesn’t care about the environment — and the reverse is also true. Look no further than the Indian shrimp industry investigation, where low pay and inhumane working conditions have gone hand in hand with environmental contamination from shrimp farm runoff. This interconnectedness underscores the importance of companies embracing a holistic approach to sustainability, addressing both the well-being of workers and the health of the planet.

The good news is that doing the right thing is also good for the long-term viability of businesses. Viral documentaries like "Seaspiracy," podcasts like "The Outlaw Ocean," exposés by media outlets, and apps like Seafood Watch are raising awareness and changing consumer behavior.

In fact, a 2023 NielsenIQ study found that products touting environmental and social claims are growing faster than those without. The data also shows that certain demographic groups, such as higher-income households and urban residents, are more inclined to purchase products with these claims. An earlier survey found that two-thirds of consumers would stop buying a product if they learned its manufacture involved exploiting workers. 

Navigating seafood’s complex supply chains 

Seafood involves complex supply chains, often passing through multiple intermediaries and countries before reaching the consumer. The humans involved in seafood supply chains are especially vulnerable to exploitation since the majority of operations take place in remote high-seas areas, far removed from regulatory oversight, or in countries like India and China where auditing firms have limited ability to effectively monitor supply chains. The process can seem daunting, and it's neither cheap nor easy, but the benefits of action far outweigh the risks of complacency.

Companies can start by recognizing that the mantra "you can't fix what you don't know" is pivotal. The very act of due diligence to examine supply chains can reap multiple rewards. Through thorough analysis and a commitment to transparency, companies uncover areas of concern, put pressure on outdated systems and forge new pathways for improvement. Whether by engaging with suppliers to enforce good labor practices, investing in sustainable sourcing or seeking ethical alternatives, they can future-proof their business while driving reforms that resonate throughout global supply chains.

It's also important for the seafood industry to embrace social responsibility not only on a global scale, but also closer to home. Rather than merely reacting to headline-grabbing problems overseas, companies must seize this moment to address internal systemic challenges and implement policies for equity, particularly for marginalized groups such as women, people of color, migrants and Indigenous communities. 

Most importantly, businesses don't need to navigate the journey toward sustainable seafood practices alone. Organizations like the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions are providing guidance and resources to help companies identify and mitigate risks. Businesses can also draw inspiration from industry leaders like Aldi and Albertsons that have made sustainable seafood commitments. And real-world examples abound, with smaller companies like the members of Sea Pact implementing measures to protect the ocean and communities. By leveraging these resources and learning from others, businesses can strengthen their sustainability efforts and contribute to a more responsible seafood industry.

While the challenges within the seafood industry may seem insurmountable, the potential for progress and transformation is undeniable. As industry leaders return to work following the Seafood Global Expo, it's imperative to prioritize social responsibility. By taking decisive action, companies can drive positive change, foster inclusivity, and create a future where workers and the environment are safeguarded within sustainable and ethical supply chains. This pivotal moment calls for collective commitment to ensure a seafood industry that not only thrives, but also serves as a beacon of responsibility for generations to come.

“I’d rather have a passport full of stamps than a house full of stuff.” It’s a saying a lot of us can relate to, but is it an environmentally responsible take? Tourism produces roughly 8 percent of global greenhouse gases, making it an easy target for flight shamers and oil executives looking to shift responsibility onto individual carbon footprints. Fortunately for those who value getting away, there are ways to limit your emissions and environmental impact while maximizing travel experiences. 

Not all travel is created equal

Types of accommodation, modes of transportation, and even the length and frequency of trips all affect the emissions, waste production, resource consumption and environmental impacts of your travels. How we indulge the travel bug will ultimately determine its impact.

Multiple short trips spread throughout the year might allow us to see a broader range of sights, but consolidating that time into a single longer trip will significantly reduce the greenhouse gases we contribute to the atmosphere. Transportation creates nearly half of travel-related emissions — with planes and cars emitting the most carbon per passenger mile — which makes traveling long distances for short periods away the epitome of unsustainable tourism. And while social media may have us believe that luxury cruises and five-star resorts are the gold standard, other forms of travel leave a lighter impact on people and communities and can be an even more fulfilling way to see the world. 

The benefits of branching out from resorts

Where you stay matters, too. Sprawling resorts and hotel grounds are often built at the expense of forests, mangroves, and other ecosystems that provide habitat for wildlife and marine animals while acting as carbon sinks. It’s not just the natural environment that is destroyed to build these places. In tourist hotspots around the world, locals and Indigenous people are being displaced at an alarming rate as well. Resorts and hotels also tend to create substantial plastic and food waste and use more than their fair share of water.

Sustainable alternatives to these options exist, and they offer experiences that are fundamentally more authentic. Hostels produce only a quarter of the carbon per guest that hotels do, according to a study of European hostels by the research and certification company Bureau Veritas and the travel app Hostelworld. That’s because the carbon savings are based on occupancy relative to space. Since hostels board more guests per room and are communal in nature, there is lower demand for electricity to light and air condition rooms, fewer appliances and facilities needed, and less square footage required overall. 

Unlike many resorts and hotels, hostels are often centrally located. This lowers travelers’ dependence on taxis, rental cars and shuttles while providing easier access to public transportation, museums, nightlife and shopping in downtowns. Locally-owned restaurants, food stalls and markets are generally within walking distance, and most hostels have kitchens available for guests to prepare quick meals and store leftovers.

By staying at a locally owned and operated lodging, you’ll also have a more authentic cultural experience. Not only will there be more opportunities to mingle with the locals, but the cuisine is also less likely to be imported, which reduces waste and emissions compared to resorts and foreign-owned hotels. Plus, you’ll learn more about how locals live while contributing to the regional economy instead of padding the pockets of a multinational conglomerate.

Hostels have a reputation for catering to college-age travelers partying their way through a gap year, but in reality, all sorts of people stay in them — from families with small children to retired people in their 70s. While there are plenty of party hostels where it’s impossible to get a good night’s sleep, rules and atmospheres vary. As with hotels, you’ll want to check the reviews before reserving and consider booking just a couple of nights at first in case you want to switch locations later. 

If you don’t want to stay in a dorm room, most hostels offer small private rooms with shared facilities that are still more sustainable than a resort or hotel. Likewise, staying in a guesthouse is an option that offers a bit more privacy. Eco-resorts can be an alternative for those craving a more luxurious experience, but booking one that truly protects the environment and benefits the local area requires due diligence. Not all certifications are worth the paper they’re printed on, so be sure to research before you stay. 

Try fewer flights and longer trips instead

If you’ve been bitten by the travel bug, you know how tempting it can be to jet off to a new location multiple times per year. Bookend a three-day weekend with a couple of PTO days and you’ve got enough time to make it worth a half-day flight, right? Technically yes, but the carbon cost is another story. Consider using shorter lengths of time off for staycations in your country, state or city, and save the flight for an extended trip. Flying to a specific region and using less carbon-intensive forms of transportation to visit neighboring countries is a more sustainable way to see the world than flying into each separately.

Like hostels, backpacking isn’t just for college kids. I took my first backpacking trip at 36 when I flew into Cancun on a one-way ticket and took a combination of buses and tourist shuttles through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua before flying out of Costa Rica. The two-month adventure was cheaper, less carbon-intensive, and a lot more relaxing than taking five or six individual trips.

Regional travels like this can be made in various places around the world. I hope to visit Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos in the same way.  Much of South America can be traveled by bus and shuttle, and Europe is easily accessible by train. On top of the airfare and emissions savings, eating locally and staying in guesthouses and hotels with shared facilities makes the trip cheaper and less carbon intensive than staying at resorts in each country individually for a week at a time. 

Longer trips come with additional challenges, though. Not all workplaces accommodate extended absences, and it’s easier for single individuals than those with spouses and children, although I've met plenty of couples and families with small children backpacking together.

As with every aspect of modern life, completely carbon-neutral and waste-free travel just isn’t possible at this point, especially when flying is involved, but we can still do the best we can to enjoy the wellness benefits of travel while being as sustainable as possible. 

This article is part of Travel Month in our 2024 Sustainable Living Challenge, where we unpack accessible ways to see new places and get around your hometown with a lighter impact on the planet. Learn more and take the challenge here.

This story on including joy as a news value is part of The Solutions Effect, a monthly newsletter covering the best of solutions journalism in the sustainability and social impact space. If you aren't already getting this newsletter, you can sign up here. 

When you think about why the most recent article you read was “newsworthy,” what’s the first word that comes to mind? Is it timeliness, conflict, unusualness, joy? That last one may seem out of place, but maybe it shouldn’t. 

Perry Parks, a researcher and assistant professor of journalism at Michigan State University, my alma mater, argues that joy is a news value. 

News values are a set of criteria journalists use to determine whether to cover a story. The list varies but has traditionally included timeliness, proximity, prominence, impact, conflict, unusualness and human interest. These values tend to lead reporters toward covering more negative news, and negativity garners attention that feeds the production of more, similar news. It’s a concept known as negativity bias. 

“If you're always covering the aberrant thing because it's different than what's usual, then people get this really aberrant view of how society works,” Parks said. “It helps explain why lots and lots of people think crime is going up right now when crime is going down in most places, across most categories. Journalists cover rising crime better than they cover falling crime. They cover rising inflation better than they cover falling inflation. That's that negativity bias.”

At the same time, the number of people who avoid the news is hovering near an all-time high and people are skipping over negative stories to find something more uplifting, according to the Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report. 

Much of this disconnect stems from how the news was conceived: presenting isolated factual information that is devoid of emotion so audiences can draw their own conclusions. The idea that journalists need to be detached excludes the process of feeling from journalism, which also detaches everyone else from the main aspects of the news, Parks said. 

“That’s not the way people actually operate,” Parks said. “Everything that we engage with, we engage with our thinking mind, and with our feeling brain, and our feeling bodies.” 

Instead, news needs to include an affective component alongside facts, he said. In psychology, “affect” describes the innate impulses and reactions in our bodies that influence our emotions and the mood of the atmosphere around us. Like the looming feeling you might experience in a hospital waiting room, for example.  

That’s where joy-oriented news values come in. 

Parks was inspired by “The Book of Joy” by the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who are Nobel Peace Prize winners. The book breaks joy down into multiple elements: perspective, humility, humor, acceptance, forgiveness, gratitude, compassion and generosity. Elements like these can be added to the list of traditional news values to expand what journalists look for in a story and what the public expects from journalism, Parks said. 

“If, over time, we as a society agree that journalism includes examples of forgiveness, gratitude, compassion, generosity, humility, humor, perspective — in addition to conflict, unusualness, proximity and that sort of thing — then maybe it would be easier to encounter news more often,” he said. “And we might have a better view of the world where we recognize a lot more about what's good in people.” 

Embracing joy and other positive values doesn’t mean only telling happy stories. Viewing them as an addition to the existing criteria still encourages rigorous reporting of serious subjects and challenges. 

“It means covering the very hardest things humans have to deal with, but in a way that illustrates how people can be human, compassionate and generous with one another, that shows people who are acting in good faith to try to make the world better,” Parks said.

This concept parallels solutions journalism in some ways, like telling the stories of people who are trying to solve problems, but solutions journalism still maintains more of the old way of doing things, he said. 

“I think of joy in this concept as more of a humanistic approach to journalism that's sort of leading with the heart, as opposed to solutions journalism probably still leading with the head,” he said. “But I think they can fit together like that really well.”  

Some people mistakenly dismiss joy-oriented news values as frivolous. Others critique it as manipulating people's emotions instead of allowing them to draw their own conclusions, which is a valid concern and something to look out for, Parks said. But it’s still always the case that journalism evokes emotions, and awarding-winning stories are often praised for doing so. 

“The choice is really whether journalists should be conscious of the emotions they're evoking, or just not be and pretend that they're not [doing it],” he said. “I think one of the biggest things we need to do is reconceive more broadly what journalism does to account for the fact that emotion is tied up with it. So, just as we say we're going to be deliberate about the facts, we convey that we can also be deliberate about what kinds of emotions we're drawing on.” 

Reworking the way we’ve evaluated newsworthiness for decades isn’t a small task, but Parks’ research shows journalists have the power to make the change. The first step is talking about it. 

“The way to change news values is not going to be like somebody flicks a light switch and it changes, but that we begin to saturate the discourse with these ideas and we make them normal,” Parks said. “We try to turn them into common sense.” 

“Eventually it just becomes not this weird thing that somebody proposed, but this natural thing that we all take into account.” 

The devastating child abuse and subsequent cover-up that occurred at Kenyan schools funded by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-sector arm of the World Bank, shocked the global community. News of the wrongdoing was highlighted in media reports last year and confirmed recently by the IFC’s accountability mechanism. After significant pressure, World Bank Group President Ajay Banga finally apologized last month for the IFC's actions with regard to the Bridge International Academies abuse and ordered an external investigation into the cover-up allegations.
 
This month’s World Bank Group spring meetings included discussions on the institution’s priority of becoming a bigger, faster bank with more money to do its work. This investigation needs to be a priority for the bank. Simply put, we cannot trust the IFC to be a responsible investor that deserves more money from donors until this investigation is complete and concrete recommendations are made to prevent something like this from occurring again. 
 
The IFC has an accountability mechanism, the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO), where communities can raise concerns about the environmental, social, human rights impacts of IFC projects. This office is supposed to be independent from IFC management so that conflicts of interest will not hamper the thorough handling of complaints. The Ombudsman office did an investigation into the IFC’s investment in Bridge International Academies and found the IFC non-compliant with its obligations to due diligence around the risk of child sexual abuse in the Bridge schools. However, in the course of the Ombudsman’s investigation of harms caused by the project, IFC management and general counsel allegedly engaged in efforts to undermine the investigation and “neutralize” the lead investigator. 
 
The World Bank Group is currently pushing for more resources to tackle climate change and other global crises. But how can the institution be trusted to do this work if its accountability structures are being undermined? As an advocate working with communities who have been harmed by projects by the IFC and other multilateral institutions, I know that the Bridge case is not the last complaint that the CAO will receive on IFC projects. Thus the stakes of this external investigation are high.
 
In order to rebuild trust in the institution, the Bridge cover-up investigation must be robust. Crucially, it must be independent from IFC management so that it can effectively investigate these disturbing allegations. In a letter sent to the World Bank Group leadership in November, 35 civil society organizations around the world — including my own — detailed what it would mean for such an investigation to be thorough. Our recommendations included investigation into alleged retaliation against CAO staff, and whether material that was critical of IFC and Bridge was unjustifiably removed from the Ombudsman's report. Additionally, investigators must have access to all relevant documents and to IFC staff and other stakeholders. 
 
Importantly, if this investigation confirms that a cover-up occurred, meaningful change must happen to ensure that CAO can effectively do its work. The investigation team must have the power to recommend changes that would address any ongoing impacts on the effectiveness of the CAO, including those related to the Bridge investigation. These include the underlying, systemic causes of the alleged interference in the CAO process, such as the use of non-disclosure agreements, management’s participation in the selection process for the CAO leadership, the inadequate application of whistleblower protections, and IFC management’s interest in limiting its accountability to project-affected communities. Furthermore, the investigation report, recommendations, and implementation of these recommendations must be transparent. 
 
After the shock, heartbreak, and loss of trust resulting from the abuse and alleged cover-up, the World Bank Group needs to step up in a big way as it undertakes this investigation. In order to restore trust from not only communities impacted by IFC projects, but also from shareholder governments and other stakeholders, it must show that it is taking this investigation seriously and conduct these proceedings with the utmost integrity and care. Otherwise, the global community does not have reason to trust IFC moving forward.

By wide margins, workers, consumers and investors in the United States want businesses to engage with a broad range of social and economic issues, including climate change, racial justice, LGBTQ+ inclusion and unionization. Despite this consensus, such efforts continue to attract backlash from conservative policymakers, legislators, activists and media platforms who diminish social justice engagement by using the word “woke” as an all-purpose pejorative. 

In response, BSR's Center for Business and Social Justice published a free, downloadable guide to help businesses address the barriers to taking action, such as a fear of backlash.

Matters of social justice are already intertwined with everyday business operations, because businesses are integral components of our societal framework and deeply connected to our communities, said Jarrid Green, co-director of the Center. This connection extends to the individuals who work for these businesses and those who invest in them.

“It’s important for businesses to engage in this work because: One, they’re already engaged in it," Green said. “They actively participate in our systems and processes that allow them to benefit from people and communities, the infrastructure that we build, and invest in them as a society. Two, we want our businesses, as well as our academic institutions and other sectors, to reflect the needs of our society and the America that we live in.”

The guide identifies the most common barriers to corporate action on social justice gleaned from the corporate members of BSR (the Business for Social Responsibility coalition) in focus groups, surveys, and ongoing requests for assistance. And it provides actionable steps to surmount those barriers. 

For example, researchers at the Center argue that “mistakes are inevitable.” So, the more a company is able to openly discuss its engagement with social justice issues, the more likely it will be targeted by people looking to stir up controversy, who dislike its work or who expect more, despite its best efforts. Instead of striving to appear perfect, they recommend that companies lean on their values, don’t back down, and pay attention to stakeholder engagement to anticipate blind spots and prevent potential missteps. 

A major factor in releasing the social justice guide at this time is how much the political and social environment has changed since the Center’s founding in 2022, Green said. At that time, there was a lot of interest in corporate engagement on social justice issues in the aftermath of the racially motivated killings of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery in 2020, he said. 

Since 2020, Fortune 100 companies committed about $340 billion to fighting racial injustice, according to the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility. As the backlash against these measures grew, many companies pulled back on their commitments or were more reluctant to draw attention to their efforts, Green said.

“Since 2020, we’ve seen companies go and try to find the groups who are trying to move things forward across a range of social justice issues and working with community groups, academic institutions, and major national, regional or local nonprofit partners to actually address specific issues,” Green said. “Having that access and that network is incredibly important because that's how you get the work done.”

Practitioners of corporate engagement on social justice lack an ecosystem of support that can help them understand the right thing to do, how to move forward, and the best practices to do so, Green said. The social justice guide is intended to foster that ecosystem.

“What’s happening [now] is you see a range of activity, all of which doesn’t seem like it makes a lot of sense in terms of proactive behavior,” Green said. “In reality, it’s just people trying to move forward on their own, and what they need is a sense of community for their work to get done.”

Florence, the capital of Tuscany, has been a destination for art enthusiasts since the Renaissance. While the pandemic shuttered the tourism industry in Florence for more than a year, tourism has since bounced back, bringing with it both an economic boom and overwhelming crowds.

Overtourism is rife in Florence and regions throughout Italy. With a population close to 361,000 residents, Florence typically receives between 10 million and 16 million tourists each year. But with a bit of extra planning, travelers can experience the splendor of the region while also being conscious of their social and environmental impacts by touring in smaller groups, spending more time in one place and shopping locally.

Sustainable travel is small and slow

There is a reason Venice introduced entrance fees for travelers to the city who are not staying the night: Large groups that flood the city from cruise ships or bus tours for only a few hours before leaving for their next destination crowd out locals and leave behind a trail of litter and smog, without offering any meaningful economic benefit to the city. Crowds are infamous in Florence. Giant tour groups of 50 or more regularly take over entire city blocks at a time, and tour buses pollute the air as they idle along busy thoroughfares.

When it comes to tours, smaller is better. Florence boasts countless beautiful sites with fascinating histories, and there is no shortage of tours for curious travelers wanting to learn more. However, large group tours are notorious for disrupting the quality of life in cities, overwhelming the capacity of local businesses and restaurants and making it difficult for locals to go about their daily lives. 

When possible, opt for small group tours. Instead of aiming to see every historical site in Florence and the surrounding region, plan to stay in one area for longer. For those wanting to get outside of the city center, bike tours are a great way to see the region without adding to the traffic congestion. Florence by Bike offers bike tours in and around Florence for all skill levels and group sizes. 

 

 

 

 

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Supporting Florentine artisans

Florence has been a home to artists and artisans for centuries, and no trip to Florence is complete without a visit to an artisan's workshop. While the Oltrarno neighborhood is famous for its artisan population, tourists should not skip the artisan shops in Sant’Ambrogio. For hand-built ceramics with motifs inspired by the Tuscan countryside, MudMoiselle is a must-see. Just down the street from MudMoiselle is the workshop of Cecilia Falciai, who specializes in “scagliola,” an Italian art form that utilizes inlaid handmade pigments to give a mosaic-like effect. 

 

 

 

 

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Florence is famous for fashion. For a sustainable twist on Florentine couture, consider visiting Essère Atelier, where designer Ilaria Tolossi makes dresses, blouses, skirts, trousers, and more by hand from natural fabrics. Many of the fabrics she uses come from excess textiles that other clothing manufacturers and fashion houses would have thrown away. 

Enjoying the flavors of Florence

Eating at locally-owned restaurants for meals is a great way to support the local Florentine economy. For an authentic, high-quality meal, avoid restaurants directly adjacent to tourist sites where servers are standing outside with menus. Try Dalla Lola in the Oltrarno neighborhood for a taste of modern Tuscan cuisine. The menu changes regularly, but a recent lunch at Dalla Lola included fried tortellini with a cocoa-mayonnaise dip, gnocchi with caramelized onions in a miso sauce, and a tart citrus panna cotta served in a lemon peel. 

Gelato is another Florentine specialty, but tourists should be careful to avoid gelaterias that showcase mountains of gelato piled high at eye level. High-quality gelato melts quickly, so seek out gelaterias that keep their gelato under lids, or not heaped up over the level of the freezer. My Sugar makes its gelato flavors fresh daily, often featuring seasonal produce from a nearby market. They also utilize unexpected ingredients from other parts of the world, and their "sesamo nero," or black sesame, flavor is a particularly delicious example of a traditionally-crafted gelato inspired by global flavors. 

 

 

 

 

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Finally, some of the best pizza in Tuscany can be found in Fiesole, a small town overlooking the city of Florence and a quick bus ride from the city center. Buca delle Fate utilizes fresh, often organic ingredients. And the owner, originally hailing from Calabria, also enjoys featuring spicy Calabrese sausages and hot oils on the pizzas. A recent option included a pizza with truffle sauce and fresh arugula. The pizza chef is always happy to make pizzas in a heart shape to delight any young children in attendance.

 

 

 

 

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The problem with short-term rentals

The choices travelers make for their accommodations have big impacts on local communities. As in many parts of the world, the explosion of short-term rentals created a housing crisis across wide swaths of Italy, driving up rent and causing a scarcity of affordable homes. For example, the number of Florence-based apartments listed on Airbnb increased to more than 14,000 in 2023 from less than 6,000 in 2016, according to the city of Florence. Meanwhile the average cost of rent increased by 42 percent and was up 15 percent over the last year alone. The housing shortage has hit low-income Italians in particular. Last year, Florence instituted a ban on new short-term rentals in the city center, but the ban was challenged in court.

Conscious travelers can avoid exacerbating the housing crisis by opting for family-run hotels or farm stays, known in Italian as “agriturismi.” Choosing these options supports the local economy without contributing to the housing crisis. Many smaller accommodations offer bikes for guests to borrow, allowing travelers to further mitigate their environmental impact.

For travelers looking to stay in a serene rural environment and enjoy some of the best wines in the region, there is no better option than Querceto di Castellina. About a 45-minute drive from Florence, Querceto di Castellina is a winery and agriturismo that offers wine tastings, cooking classes, and for the fortunate visitors who can snag tickets, summertime wine dinners that feature local musicians and artists. 

 

 

 

 

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Responsible travel for a more sustainable tourism industry

The Florentine economy is dependent on the millions of travelers who come to the city every year to experience the beauty of “la dolce vita,” or “the sweet life.” But as overtourism threatens the vitality of the industry and quality of life for the locals, it is crucial that tourists travel consciously and make choices that support the vitality of Florence and the surrounding region.  

This article is part of Travel Month in our 2024 Sustainable Living Challenge, where we unpack accessible ways to see new places and get around your hometown with a lighter impact on the planet. Learn more and take the challenge here.

The wonderful waterways and unique natural formations of Central New York tell a story of conservation and appreciation for the environment. Through consistent preservation, many of the area’s most fantastic formations retain their beauty, while others are in the process of being restored to their former glory.

The Syracuse metro area is home to a plethora of parks, reservations and heritage areas abounding with natural wonders. Next time you find yourself in Central New York, use this roundup of must-see nature locales — all within a 30-minute drive from Syracuse — to tailor your visit to support local businesses, conservation and sustainability efforts.

1. Onondaga Lake 

Once the most polluted lake in America, steady conservation efforts are revitalizing Onondaga Lake, resulting in the return of its most iconic denizens. The ancestral land of the Onondaga Nation is once again home to a thriving bald eagle population. 

In winter months, the spectacular birds of prey nest in the trees of the shoreline commonly known as Murphy’s Island. An avid community of birdwatchers has developed around a shared appreciation of these massive birds. Visitors vying for a view can join a guided eagle watch tour with the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps. 

What’s more, the Skä•noñh Great Law of Peace Center, a museum and cultural center chronicling the story of the Haudenosaunee people, is just down the road from Murphy’s Island. Learn about the significance of the bald eagle and the sanctity of Onondaga Lake from the original conservationists of this remarkable body of water. 

Cap off your explorations at one of Central New York’s most beloved eateries, Heid’s of Liverpool. This historic hot-dog haven slings the Syracuse-based Hofmann Sausage Company’s famous franks and coneys, and it's just down the road from the Great Law of Peace Center.

2. Green Lakes

Ever heard of a meromictic lake? Most Central New Yorkers have! Meromictic lakes are bodies of water that don’t have seasonal turnover, resulting in incredibly clear, blue-green waters. These lakes are exceedingly rare, with just 36 in the world, and Central New York is home to not one but two of these incredible formations. 

Green Lake and Round Lake can be found in Green Lakes State Park in the town of Manlius, and consistent preservation has maintained their beauty and relevance for locals and tourists alike. Visitors will delight in hiking the easily-traversed trails around both lakes. A slew of other activities like canoe and rowboat rentals, lifeguarded beaches with swimming and diving areas, an event center overlooking Green Lake, golf and disc golf courses, and campgrounds are also on offer.

3. The Erie Canal

A great engineering marvel of the 19th century stretches across Central New York. The Erie Canal has connected the Empire State since 1825, first through commerce and now through recreation and shared historical appreciation. Across the state, Erie Canal parks are a consistent draw for tourism and local outdoor pursuits, such as boating, fishing and biking. 

An engaged community of canal enthusiasts maintains the canal’s history. They preserve the abandoned locks and bridges of the “Old Erie Canal," upkeep and install historical markers, and clean up the operational barge canal — which is the third iteration of the original. Activists in Rochester, Syracuse, and other canal cities are also working to restore and reincorporate historic canal sections that once flowed through their downtowns. 

In Syracuse, visitors can check out the Erie Canal Museum for a bevy of information on this storied waterway. Old Erie Canal State Park is just a 15-minute drive from the museum. The park is a 36-mile stretch of the now-defunct second iteration of the canal, and makes for a serene walk any time of year. Walk the same path once trod by young boys leading mule teams, explore old lock systems, and enjoy the variety of natural life that calls these waters home. One entrance to the park is located right across the street from an entrance to Green Lakes State Park, so industrious day-trippers could feasibly explore both. 

Intrepid Erie Canal enthusiasts might even consider taking on the Erie Canalway Challenge by traversing a part or the entirety of the Erie Canalway Trail, a 360-mile, cross-state expedition. Thousands of people complete this trip each year, and canal towns are well-accustomed to taking care of bikers and kayakers on their way to earning the coveted title of “End-to-Ender.” Register to run with a group in the annual Cycle the Erie Canal Bike Tour, or complete the trip with a couple of close friends like I did in 2021. You’ll encounter Lockport dive bars and Rochester microbreweries, massive barges and little canoes, torrential rains and spectacular sunsets, historical markers and physical monuments, and, above all, an array of people from all walks of life — each with a story to tell. It is truly a life-changing adventure.

4. Skaneateles Lake

Skaneateles is a quiet little village situated around an awe-inspiring lake known for attracting many big-name celebrities seeking a second home or summer retreat. When the last ices of the seemingly never-ending Central New York winters thaw, the lake comes alive with recreationists of every stripe. Yachts and pontoon boats sail past paddleboarders and jet skiers, while fishermen cast into the deep waters from all sides. You’ll get that classic communal feel of a small-town lake, while the tasteful homes in the neighborhood will make you consider relocating. 

Speaking of taste, you can treat yourself to some great eats of varying elegance once you’re out of the water. Doug’s Fish Fry offers delectable yet affordable fried seafood fare, and it's no wonder that the place is so beloved among locals and residents of surrounding areas willing to make a drive. Meanwhile, the village boasts an array of highbrow fine-dining options, such as the Tuscan-themed Rosies Cucina. Beyond the lake and the restaurants, the village boasts various shops selling local goods, art, souvenirs and jewelry.

5. The Finger Lakes Region

The Finger Lakes Region is the only destination on this list that’s further than a 30 minutes from Syracuse. Home to some of the greatest wineries on this side of the Rocky Mountains, the region is a booming tourism destination just over an hour from the city. The area’s name derives from the five Finger Lakes, strangely narrow bodies of water that appear on maps like some sort of slash or claw mark. 

This Central New York region is home to a bounty of sustainable wineries. Their grape growing thrives in part because of the surrounding soil and the temperature-regulating effect of the deep lakes. Seneca Lake is the main of the five lakes, boasting more than half of the area’s wineries. Locations such as Hermann J. Weimer Vineyard set the standard in sustainable food and drink. The farm and vineyard uses no pesticides or herbicides, maintaining prestige while prioritizing environmentalism. 

Wine is just the tip of the iceberg around here. The Finger Lakes region boasts a plethora of breweries and farm-to-table dining options that consistently attract millions of visitors each year.

6. All of the rest

There are truly too many amazing outdoor locales to explore throughout Central New York, with no way to highlight them all. Here are just a few of the other natural attractions in this region:

• Tinker Falls, located in the Labrador Hollow Unique Area, features a 50-foot waterfall that visitors can walk behind.
• Chittenango Falls State Park is home to an impressive 167-foot waterfall and is the only home to the critically endangered Chittenango Ovate Amber Snail, the subject of many local conservation projects.
• Clark Reservation State Park offers visitors the chance to traverse unique limestone trails that follow a ring of cliffs and crags overlooking a breathtaking little lake. The stone paths don’t present a challenge so much as a change of pace from a typical hiking trail. 

This article is part of Travel Month in our 2024 Sustainable Living Challenge, where we unpack accessible ways to see new places and get around your hometown with a lighter impact on the planet. Learn more and take the challenge here.

Eighty-five percent of business leaders agree a well-functioning democracy is essential to U.S. capitalism, but 78 percent are concerned about the state of democracy in the United States today. That's according to a recent report from the Leadership Now Project, a bipartisan, pro-democracy group of more than 400 business leaders, which warns of growing political instability in the U.S. ahead of the 2024 election cycle and the potential risks to business. 

Business leaders act on worrying threats to free and fair elections in key swing states

Changes to U.S. election administration laws have watchdogs worried. In particular, 15 bills enacted in 13 states — and another 185 introduced in 38 states — would allow partisan state legislatures to manage elections, Leadership Now observed in its report. 

The group named election administration laws among the risks to business and society ahead of the presidential and legislative elections in 2024. Others include disinformation campaigns aimed at sowing distrust in the electoral process and threats of violence toward poll workers and election officials.

All of this makes Americans, as well as election workers, understandably nervous. Only 37 percent of Americans surveyed by the Public Affairs Council believe the 2024 election will be open and honest. Advocates worry this could keep people away from the polls, particularly in the seven swing states expected to decide the presidential election: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. 

"Because they're swing states and the election is expected to be very close, that's where you have the greatest risk of efforts to undermine the results," said Daniella Ballou-Aares, founder and CEO of the Leadership Now Project. "In Arizona right now, 80 percent of the election administrators have quit their jobs because they’ve been harassed or undermined."

Arizona business leaders associated with the Leadership Now Project are looking toward their peers in another swing state, Wisconsin, to navigate an increasingly fraught landscape and preserve free and fair elections. 

Among its efforts, the bipartisan coalition Wisconsin Business Leaders For Democracy stood up to defend state Elections Administrator Meagan Wolfe from an attempted ouster by Republican legislators. Many of Wolfe's detractors in the statehouse repeated false claims of widespread voter fraud in Wisconsin in the 2020 presidential election as a reason for her firing. But the group of prominent Wisconsin business leaders, many of whom are also members of Leadership Now, feel differently. 

"Running elections in a big state like Wisconsin is a complicated process," Tom Florsheim, Jr., chairman and CEO of the Wisconsin-based footwear company Weyco Group, told local television news outlet Spectrum News 1 last year. "Here we have somebody that ran an election through a pandemic, which has a lot of challenges in itself, that did an exemplary job, and she's received accolades from both Republicans and Democrats."

A Wisconsin county judge ultimately decided Wolfe should remain in her position and affirmed that legislators do not have the authority to remove state election officials. Among other efforts to uphold integrity and confidence in local elections, members of the Wisconsin business group refuse to endorse any candidate who does not commit to certify future elections. In a campaign launched this week, it's calling on fellow Wisconsin businesses to help their customers get registered to vote, give their employees time off to cast their ballot and encourage poll working. 

Leadership Now's Arizona members are looking to replicate some of these actions in an effort to uphold free and fair elections in their state. "It's a pretty powerful example," Ballou-Aares said. "It could be happening in every swing state."

In swing states and beyond: How business leaders can act to defend democracy

"The efforts to undermine faith in elections are part of a broader undermining of the rule of law that is dangerous for business," Ballou-Aares continued. "If you look globally at history, as well as in the last 20 years, when you see countries sliding from democracy … business is often late in recognizing that things are going wrong. They're not the first people to feel it. But then once things erode too much, it's much harder to pull back." 

Standing up for basic tenets of democracy — such as the right to vote without interference and have that vote be counted — is not partisan. And business leaders don't need to back a candidate or make a political statement in order to get involved. Here are just a few things to consider as the U.S. and half of the global population prepare to vote in national elections in 2024.

Give employees time off to vote and work the polls. Over recent years, thousands of major companies pledged to give their employees paid time off to cast their ballots as part of business coalitions like the Civic Alliance and Time to Vote. This is a major step to remove tough choices between earning a living and exercising the right to vote. 

With poll workers in short supply, going the extra mile to give employees the full day off to volunteer at their local polling place can maximize impact even further. "We need to make sure our elections are administered well," Ballou-Aares said. "We need to support poll workers. We need to support people taking time off to work at the polls. And we need to recognize election officials and workers as critical public servants that we hold in high regard."

Old Navy, for example, offered its 50,000 employees eight hours of paid time off to volunteer as poll workers during the 2020 election and recruited hundreds of customer volunteers on its website, resulting in thousands of hours of poll support. It also earned the brand 2 billion earned media impressions and the most social media buzz it ever received in a single day, Leadership Now highlighted in its report. 

Educate people about trusted sources to counter misinformation. In the World Economic Forum's annual risk report, more than 1,400 business executives, politicians, NGO leaders and academics outline the greatest dangers facing the economy each year. Chief among them in 2024 is the threat of misinformation and disinformation driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and how it could influence key elections around the world. 

In the U.S. in particular, tech companies and the federal government have moved to restrict AI-generated misinformation, but it's doubtful sufficient protections will be in place in time for the November elections, Ballou-Aares said. Given this, it's up to voters to be diligent. Brands can help by reminding their customers about key election information such as how to find their local polling place, the date of Election Day and the time polls are open, as well as reinforcing the value of trusted sources for information about elections. 

"Remind people that, with AI especially, there is a lot of disinformation around elections," Ballou-Aares suggested. "Remind them to check their sources. Even that is a useful thing that companies can do." 

Review political spending and trade group memberships. Following the riots inside the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021, a number of U.S. companies committed to halt campaign donations to lawmakers who sought to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Some followed through and some didn't, but the shift still had an impact. "Even though not everyone's stuck with it, enough did that the resources of election deniers in Congress have gone down meaningfully," Ballou-Aares said.

The majority of funding to political candidates, parties, PACs and outside spending groups comes from business, so governance of this spending matters. Beyond donations to individual politicians, companies should review their political spending and trade group memberships on a regular basis, Ballou-Aares advised. "Your board should know where your money goes politically. Your CFOs should know," she said. "I cannot tell you the number of board members and CFOs I've talked to who have no idea." 

Resist the rhetoric. "Too much of what's happening in the business community right now is responding to rhetoric," Ballou-Aares said. She used the ongoing political pushback against the use of environmental, social and governance principles in business decision-making as an example. "Someone says, 'We don't like ESG.' And then everyone agrees, 'I'm not going to say ESG anymore.' That's really dangerous. It’s the same with the idea that speaking about safe elections is partisan."

Yale University historian Timothy Snyder described this phenomenon, which he dubbed "anticipatory obedience," in his 2017 book "On Tyranny." Essentially, as an eroding democracy moves to penalize one person or group for a specific action, others begin to fall in line even before they are directly compelled to do so. “Americans today are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism in the twentieth century,” he wrote. “Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience.” 

For U.S. business leaders, that means drowning out the noise, holding strong to decisions and providing evidence to support them as needed. "Stick to the fact-based core of what you know to be true, and don't be influenced by rhetoric," Ballou-Aares said. "You can focus on the things that are detrimental to our system, and that's really valuable."

Big U.S. tech companies have become adept at using power purchase agreements (PPAs) to acquire renewable energy. The PPA model can also benefit school districts and other non-commercial institutions, but some states prohibit it. A recent policy shift in West Virginia illustrates how tech firms can help school districts take advantage of new PPA opportunities.

PPAs: The state of play

PPAs came into wide use as a de-risking tool for renewable energy developers following the U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005. These agreements are essentially long-term contracts between an energy producer and an energy buyer, usually a utility or another corporate customer. The buyer commits to purchase energy from the contracted project — think: a new wind farm or solar installation — for a certain amount of time, providing the producer with guaranteed payback and the ability to take advantage of renewable energy tax credits. As motivation on the consumer side, wind and solar PPA rates are typically lower than local utility rates, and they are buffered from volatility in global energy markets.

Intuit and other leading tech firms — including Amazon, Salesforce and Google — were among the first corporations to recognize the role of these agreements in accelerating their climate goals. In 2020, for example, Intuit announced that a single PPA in Texas enabled the company to achieve 100 percent renewable electricity 10 years earlier than anticipated. 

PPAs continue to be a leading factor in the tech sector’s transition to renewables in the U.S. and elsewhere. “Big tech remains a large contributor of PPA growth,” researchers noted in BloombergNEF’s 2024 Corporate Energy Market Outlook. 

Breaking down PPA barriers

PPAs are also accessible to schools and other non-commercial entities in 29 states and the District of Columbia. Until 2021, that group did not include West Virginia. PPAs were prohibited in the state until 2021 when the West Virginia state legislature passed a bill to allow them.

A series of electricity rate hikes contributed to the pressure for change in West Virginia, a high-poverty state in the heart of Appalachia where the once-dominant coal industry has been losing jobs for generations. The bill became law shortly after passage in April 2021, though Gov. Jim Justice declined to sign it.

Intuit spots an opportunity

For Intuit, the shift in West Virginia policy provided a new opportunity to link school-based PPAs with additional community benefits, consistent with the company’s ongoing Climate Positive initiative that aims to reduce 2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions outside of the company’s operations.

The company launched the Coalfield Solar Fund last year to encourage schools in underserved communities in West Virginia and Virginia to adopt PPAs, along with educational and job training programs focused on the solar industry. The fund is a partnership between Intuit, the nonprofit National Energy Education Development Project, and the Virginia-based solar developer and certified B Corp Secure Solar Futures.

“These communities have been an economic engine for the country for a century, and they have been impacted in an incredibly difficult and challenging way," said Debbie Lizt, Intuit’s head of global sustainability.

Coalfield Solar provides science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and job training grants of $50,000 to $150,000 for public schools and community colleges that enter into on-site solar PPA agreements with Secure Solar Futures.

An Intuit Prosperity Hub education and job training center in neighboring Virginia served as a model for the Coalfield Solar Fund. “Solar in particular was starting in Virginia. PPA’s were more accessible, and we had already formed a partnership with Secure Solar Futures in southwest Virginia for rooftop solar on schools,” Lizt explained. “The aim is not to just install solar, but also to provide access [for] future generations to be exposed to the potential jobs of the future and an opportunity for apprenticeships for the students.”

The ripple effect of PPAs

Calhoun County Schools in West Virginia is one of three school districts to win funding in Coalfield Solar’s initial round of awards. The grant will build on existing initiatives in Calhoun County, which has already made history as the first school district in West Virginia to enter into a PPA for solar arrays on school property.

The PPA was signed with Secure Solar Futures in the fall of 2022, enabling the installation of rooftop solar arrays on an elementary school and a middle school in the sparsely populated district of approximately 860 students.

“We hope that being the first public school system to install the solar panels on our roofs will encourage other school systems to follow suit,” Kelli Whytsell, superintendent of Calhoun County Schools, said in a statement. 

That hope was soon in evidence. In November 2023, the West Virginia developer Solar Holler announced plans to install up to 5.3 megawatts worth of solar panels on multiple buildings under a PPA with the Wayne County Schools district, which is projected to save almost $6.5 million in energy costs over 25 years.

“The agreement represents the largest power purchase agreement signed in West Virginia to date and the largest single demonstration of solar on public schools anywhere in Appalachia,” according to a statement from Solar Holler.

Expanding the benefits of solar PPAs

The shift in West Virginia state policy is not the only factor motivating the PPA trend there. “In addition to the state legislation that made PPAs possible, the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022 has been instrumental in making these types of projects economically viable,” according to Solar Holler. That’s due to changes to the tax code and other incentives for projects in coal communities.

Intuit has already seen an enthusiastic response to the Coalfield Solar program.

“We would not be able to accelerate the solar transition without the change in solar policies,” Lizt said, though she emphasized that the demand is driven organically as an extension of the role of local schools as economic engines and community builders. The Coalfield Solar program has seen an “incredible response from schools,” Lizt said.

The powerful community solar trend may be the next opportunity to overcome the resistance of West Virginia policymakers. Community solar projects provide access to local solar for all ratepayers, including renters and other households unable to install their own rooftop panels.

Legislation that would enable community solar in West Virginia failed to pass the legislature in the past, but supporters are trying again this year.

If it succeeds this year, there will be more opportunities for corporate sustainability managers to help provide communities with resources that promote economic growth and stability in an era marked by change and upheaval.