There has been a subtle shift happening at CA recently towards making our voice heard in important national dialogues.  In an era of political polarization, 24 hour news cycles and economic and environmental uncertainty, it is becoming apparent that we can bring a unique point of view and real value to these discussions and we are taking steps to get more involved.  That is why I am so pleased that we have recently joined Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy (BICEP), a project of Ceres.

BICEP is an important example of a group bringing together businesses to make a positive difference in our national policy and our society.  As Ceres' website explains:

BICEP's goal is to work directly with key allies in the business community and with relevant members of Congress to pass meaningful energy and climate change legislation that is consistent with our core principles.

BICEP offers a new arena for business involvement in advancing climate and energy policies to counter the far-reaching risks and challenges posed by global climate change.

Combining the voices and expertise of leading businesses, like eBay, Gap, Jones Lang Lasalle, Nike, Starbucks, Symantec and many more, that have already embraced and seen the business benefits of corporate sustainability adds an important dimension to the discussion.  When it is not just one political party or the other, but instead leading corporations (who have real experience and expertise in making sustainability work as a business driver) helping to lead the charge, the opportunity to create positive change in our system is expanded.  Stay tuned for an upcoming post about a recent White House business forum we participated in with BICEP and other leading technology companies to review improving data center energy efficiency in the federal government.

While it may seem as if media pundits are driving the discussion about "what businesses" want in certain situations, it is much more constructive to bring the business leaders together to lay out their real interests and work to find common ground.    After all, business is about negotiating deals and understanding the give-and-take of creating a win/win. 

Here's to continuing to elevate the conversation and finding pragmatic and effective ways to get things done.