Home » ResponsibilityWorks Calls Upon Government & Industry to Lead the Way to a New Responsible Economy

The people of the United States are demanding increasing levels of transparency and accountability from their government and the companies with which it does business. President Obama has responded with a historic commitment to bringing more transparency and integrity to the way his Administration conducts itself and how it interacts with its business partners.

In keeping with these principles, the Corporate Responsibility Officers Association (CROA) has created ResponsibilityWorks, a Government Roundtable that has convened sixty leaders of companies, government agencies, nonprofits, and academia committed to improving transparency and responsibility among contractors.

Much of our modern world – from the Internet and mobile communications to a more just and integrated society – took shape in a government lab or government contract. Throughout history government has seeded new ideas and backed them up with the power of its purse. At the end of the Great Recession and in the face of lingering concerns about the role of government and business in society, government and business can once again sow the seeds of sustainable progress.

Make no mistake: other governments see the writing on the wall and have taken action. China, India, the EU, and state and local governments have invested in the technology and infrastructure of sustainability. They’ve invested in the industries leading the way to a more responsible and sustainable era of economic growth. They’re investing in renewable energy, corporate governance, sustainable development, and a whole host of inventions big and small that will drive demand and fuel progress.

This is a call to action. A charge to our government and industry to work collaboratively – not just in regulation and law, but in real partnership – to create the conditions and investments necessary for the Responsible Economy. In the same way the Race to Space seeded the research and development of countless innovations that define modern life, we call upon government and industry to once again lead. To lead a Race to the New Responsible Economy.

The ResponsibilityWorks Steering Committee is looking for others to join them in leading this charge. If interested in learning more, contact me, Kim Gilliam, Director of Communities & Member Services, or visit the ResponsibilityWorks website  to read the full Call to Action and learn more.