** MAKING AN IMPACT
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ASBN recognizes the private sector's pivotal responsibility in driving the regenerative economy forward. Since 2009, our founding affiliate organization, the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC), has been instrumental in catalyzing this shift, and the critical work continues. We believe that businesses have an important role to play in adopting sustainable and regenerative practices but also need empowerment to champion the legislative frameworks necessary for this system to thrive. Thank you for being a part of our community. Join us in leading the way to a just and regenerative economy.


** IN THIS ISSUE
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* NOTE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
* TAKE NOTE & TAKE ACTION
* NEWS, STORIES & OPPORTUNITIES
* MEMBER NEWS
* BECOME A NEW MEMBER
* GROWING GRASS UPDATES
* ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
* GRANT & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
* INVESTORS CIRCLE CORNER



** NOTE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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Greetings Friend,

There are a lot of people shutting down right now. The flurry of executive orders and memos is coming at a dizzying pace, and it’s scary. If you’re reading this, then you aren’t one of those people, and neither are we.

Since the inauguration, I have spent hours a day on calls with state groups, business alliances, coalitions, law firms, CSOs and CEOs. Everyone agrees that dysfunction and division are not normal. Chaos and the undermining of the rule of law are also not normal. They are also not productive, and certainly not the path to a regenerative economy.

Now, more than ever, ASBN needs your voice.

One of the things that makes us unique is our approach to policy. We aren’t in the business of politics, we’re driving policy for business. Our members and their priorities shape where ASBN advocates, defends, and leads. We need your voice to help shape our priorities and show that the sustainable business community is united.

The members of ASBN are not powerless; through collective voice, they are taking action.

We have a number of ways for businesses to engage: steering committees, policy briefs, amplifier opportunities for you to easily advocate on a number of topics, and our member advocacy training and regular updates. Not to mention, for ASBN members, there is a driven and talented staff of topical experts who are available to work with you to increase your knowledge and effectiveness in policy and advocacy.

Join ASBN and take action today. When you’re asked what you did when the sustainable movement was under attack, make sure you can say, “I got centered and engaged when it mattered most.”
Join Us ([link removed])


** TAKE NOTE & TAKE ACTION
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** Take Note
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The Good News

We’re launching exciting new ways for members to engage with ASBN—tailored to fit your advocacy capacity and business priorities! Whether you’re ready to co-create strategy in key impact areas or prefer lighter-touch ways to advocate for business case-backed policy, we’ve made it easier than ever to take action.

Our newly reformatted engagement opportunities ensure that wherever you are in your advocacy journey, there’s a place for you. If you have the capacity to lead, we provide a focal point for strategic collaboration. If you need quick, impactful ways to engage, we curate the most effective and accessible actions for you. No matter your experience level or resources, ASBN is here to help amplify your voice and drive meaningful change.

At the bottom of this newsletter, you’ll find updates, usually reserved for members, from our newly refocused steering committees and policy briefs, which offer deeper opportunities to shape our policy agenda.

We’re also introducing new ways to stay informed and take action:
* Monthly Policy Forum webinars will keep members updated on the latest policy developments, with rotating ASBN team members hosting discussions on key initiatives. Save the date for our first session on February 26 at 1pm ET/10am PT
* Quarterly Amplifier calls will provide easy, actionable ways to advocate on a range of critical topics, ensuring member voices are heard where it matters most.

Interested in joining a working group, steering committee, or quarterly calls to amplify the collective voice of business and boost your advocacy impact?
Become A Member ([link removed])

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Climate Power Clean Energy Boom Report

A new report from Climate Power shares that since August 2022, companies have announced 406,007 new clean energy jobs across 48 states and Puerto Rico. Learn more about the clean energy boom and how protecting this progress is critical for our future.
Read The Report ([link removed])

A challenge to Texas’ business blacklist law should succeed as a matter of law, according to a filing last month made by the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) in the latest development in the effort to stop the State of Texas from penalizing businesses that do not invest in unsustainable sources of energy. In a summary judgment motion filed on January 24, ASBC argued that the facts are clear in their case and that the court should determine that SB 13, a law approved in 2021, unconstitutionally harms businesses. The filing additionally requests that the court bar the State of Texas from enforcing the law against financial firms that focus their investments on sustainable energy.

On August 29, 2024, the American Sustainable Business Council ([link removed]) (ASBC), acting on behalf of members including Etho Capital ([link removed]) and Sphere ([link removed]) , challenged the constitutionality of SB 13 for violating the free speech and association rights protected under the First and Fourteenth Amendments ([link removed]) . The lawsuit filed in the Western District of Texas’ Austin Division contends that SB 13 discriminates against companies that speak out against fossil fuels ([link removed]) , including those that use environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) metrics in their investing and business practices. The businesses are being represented by Democracy Forward
([link removed]) , Emery Celli Abady Brinckerhoff Ward & Maazel LLP, and Guerrero & Whittle PLLC.

According to the Texas Association of Business, SB 13 has cost the state nearly $700 million in lost economic activity and 3,000 lost full-time jobs ([link removed]) , and the law has already caused $270 million in increased costs for banking and financial services ([link removed]) . It bars state pension plans and the state’s permanent school fund from investing in–and requires them to divest from– financial companies that “boycott” energy companies. This unconstitutional attack on business is bad for taxpayers, workers, business owners, and pensions.

View the Complaint ([link removed]) , see the Press Release ([link removed]) and past updates ([link removed]) .

The Bad

Project 2025: A Blueprint for Deregulation in Action

Despite denying ties to Project 2025 ([link removed]) , the Trump administration’s actions tell a different story. Just weeks in, two key Project 2025 authors—Russell Vought ([link removed]) (OMB) and Brendan Carr ([link removed]) (FCC)—were appointed, and nearly two-thirds of Trump’s executive actions mirror its agenda ([link removed]) .

Key actions aligning with Project 2025:
* Deploying the National Guard to the border
* Suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program
* Expanding oil and gas drilling in Alaska
* Exiting the Paris Agreement & ending offshore wind development
* Reclassifying federal employees for easier dismissal
* Dismantling federal DEI initiatives

On January 27, the administration halted nearly all federal aid ([link removed]) —freezing billions for state programs and sending shockwaves and panic across the country—only to rescind the order by Wednesday of the same week after legal challenges halting the freeze ([link removed]) . This chaos is a warning: more rollbacks are likely. We can expect to see ([link removed]) restrictions on reproductive healthcare, an end to overtime protections for millions of workers, and further attacks on EPA programs like Safer Choice labeling, DEI initiatives and LGBTQ+ protections in the workplace and beyond.

For sustainable businesses, staying informed is critical. Read more:
🔗The People’s Guide to Project 2025 ([link removed])

🔗Project 2025 Overview ([link removed])

🔗 BBC: What is Project 2025? ([link removed])
🔗Time’s Analysis ([link removed])


** Take Action
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ICYMI, last week we launched a bold campaign to unite businesses to protect the EPA’s Safer Choice program.

The American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN) has partnered with the Household & Commercial Products Association (HCPA), Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association (ISSA), Change Chemistry, the American Cleaning Institute, the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), and the Alternative Fuels & Chemicals Coalition on a letter to demonstrate our united support for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safer Choice program.

More than 400 businesses actively use the Safer Choice labels on their products, while thousands of businesses sell or use Safer Choice products, and nearly 2000 Safer Choice-certified products are currently available.

A copy of the letter will be sent to the EPA on February 7, with around 200 business signees from across the U.S., but it’s not too late! Businesses can still sign the letter on a rolling basis.
View The Letter ([link removed])
Sign The Letter ([link removed])
See Media Release ([link removed])

Uniting Business for Childhood Cancer Prevention

This month, businesses have powerful opportunities to lead in the fight against childhood cancer. Few causes unite communities across political lines like protecting children from largely preventable diseases. A healthier future for our children means a stronger, more resilient economy. Join us in driving meaningful change—take action today through the following initiatives:

Childhood Cancer Prevention Symposium | Feb 10th-13th, 2025

[link removed] ASBN is proud to be a founding member of the Childhood Cancer Prevention Initiative and a co-organizer of the second Childhood Cancer Prevention Symposium!You are invited to join us in Houston, Texas on February 10 - 13, 2025. This exciting event brings together experts, researchers, and advocates to discuss the latest advancements and strategies in preventing childhood cancer. Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn from renowned speakers, engage in thought-provoking discussions, and connect with like-minded individuals. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of children affected by cancer.

Register ([link removed])

The Institute for Preventive Health (IPH) Chemicals & Children’s Health Report
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Read The Paper ([link removed])

IPH is a U.S. non-profit organization founded by a team of leading scientists, physicians, economists, and legal and certification experts who have been studying the harmful effects of toxic chemicals on children's health and fertility for decades. IPH was established to implement the solutions outlined in the peer-reviewed paper "Manufactured Chemicals and Children’s Health: The Need for New Law," published in early 2025 in the New England Journal of Medicine. IPH focuses on practical, science-based solutions and will be partnering with ASBN to align their work with the business community, as well as other NGOs that run programs that match the solutions outlined in the paper.

Stay Connected & Make an Impact! Follow ASBN on social media for the latest updates and opportunities for sustainable business to drive a just and regenerative economy. Engage with our posts, share your voice, and help amplify the movement. Now more than ever, collective action matters—join us today!
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** NEWS, STORIES & OPPORTUNITIES
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** ASBN Spotted
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ASBN was proud to sponsor the Rural Coalition’s 16th Annual Winter Forum, which bought together farmers and advocates from across the United States to collaborate, learn, share, and discuss the future of agriculture. 🌱

Liza LaManna, Manager of Regenerative Agriculture and Clean Water, spoke on two panels, covering farm policy, localized infrastructure, and the Growing GRASS Project.


** ASBN in the News
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The Charleston Gazette-Mail |Appalachian sustainable economy advocates feel momentum going into Trump regime ([link removed]) | January 18, 2025 | Camilla Taylor, ASBN Executive Director, was quoted during a two-day strategy summit held virtually by ReImagine Appalachia. Camilla on Trump’s administration’s attacks on sustainability funding:


** What we’re reading
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Civil Eats | Op-ed: Black Producers Have Farmed Sustainably in Kansas for Generations. Let’s Not Erase Our Progress. ([link removed]) | January 29, 2025 | Increased federal funding for Black farmers—not less—will help US agriculture become more resilient as our climate changes.

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** MEMBER NEWS
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ASBN member, Eileen Fisher
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Trellis | Competitors Everlane, Eileen Fisher and Zalando come together to help scale supply chains for recycled textiles; Fashion retailers are teaming up to smooth the wrinkles that keep circular fabrics out of mainstream fashion ([link removed]) | February 4, 2025

ASBN member, EcoPlum

PR Newswire | EcoPlum Sustainable Swag® Scores First Recertification as a B Corporation ([link removed]) | July 31, 2025
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** BECOME A NEW MEMBER
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WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR BUSINESS TO BE FEATURED HERE AND REACH THOUSANDS OF ALIGNED BUSINESSES AND CONSUMERS? CONTACT OUR MEMBER TEAM (mailto:[email protected]?subject=I%20am%20interested%20in%20becoming%20a%20member&body=) TODAY.


** GROWING GRASS UPDATES
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In conjunction with Other Half Processing, the American Sustainable Business Institute is the grantee and administrative home of the Growing GRASS project. Growing GRASS ([link removed]) is a five-year, $35 million project funded by the USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant program, dedicated to improving the beef and buffalo byproduct supply chain. Contact Anna Straus (mailto:[email protected]) .

National Bison Association conference & CSU Spur's Offal Party

The Growing GRASS team met so many fantastic folks at the National Bison Association conference and CSU Spur's Offal Party in January — and they’re all as excited about byproducts as we are! We love sharing how Growing GRASS is building domestic supply chains for the byproducts of regen-raised beef cattle and bison. Want to snap a selfie with our team (or the giant hand-drawn bison)? Sign up for our newsletter at GGRASS.org ([link removed]) to find out when we’re at an event near you!

Ingredients Team Lead Wanted!

The Growing GRASS project team is looking for an Ingredients Team Lead who can help us increase our understanding of the opportunities, challenges, and markets for regeneratively raised cattle and bison byproducts used as ingredients in food, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, and other related sectors.
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Learn More ([link removed])

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Our call for proposals will be open until February 7th — learn more and apply on the Growing GRASS website ([link removed]) .

Annual Report Open House

Catch up and connect with Growing GRASS at our upcoming open house on Thursday, February 13th, 2pm CST/3pm EST. We will share the successes and challenges of 2024, and lift up what excites us about 2025.
RSVP Today! ([link removed])


** ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
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Our newly reformatted engagement opportunities ensure that wherever members are in their advocacy journey, there’s a place for them.

Members can join a policy brief, steering committee, or quarterly call to amplify the collective voice of business and boost their advocacy impact!

Policy Briefs (Formerly called Working Groups)

Members are kept informed with policy updates, expert insights, and engagement opportunities through issue-specific discussions. These meetings provide deeper analysis, helping you stay involved in key policy conversations without requiring extensive policy knowledge. Members have the opportunity to work side by side with our topical experts to expand their knowledge.

Steering Committees

By serving on the Steering Committee, members and partners play a pivotal role in shaping ASBN’s advocacy efforts, amplifying business voices in policy discussions, and fostering a coordinated, action-driven coalition for sustainable business practices. The steering committee is perfect for members who are looking to shape policy initiatives and be in the conversation around impact area strategies and priorities.

Amplifiers

A quarterly cross-issue meeting, amplifying advocacy efforts, spreading awareness, and taking action when possible. This is the perfect opportunity for businesses that want to use their voice and take action but aren’t able to commit large bandwidth to shaping impact strategies.

The Clean Water is Good For Business Delaware River Watershed Steering Committee works with businesses to advocate for cleaner water. Sign up here ([link removed]) to receive the Clean Water Newsletter.

What you missed: In our last meeting, The Steering Committee came together to reflect on the work done in 2024. There was a discussion on advocacy goals and the growth of the committee in 2025. Look out for the next edition of the CleanWater newsletter

Next meeting:

March 10th, 1 PM ET

Do you want to help shape the future of our clean water work?

Contact Liza LaManna (mailto:[email protected]) to get involved.

Climate & Energy Policy Briefs identify key problems, solutions, and strategies to address our planet's climate and energy crisis. Calls focus on policy updates, expert insights, and engagement opportunities.

What you missed: At our first meeting of the year we debriefed the first days of the Trump administration with an overview of the Day One Executive Orders that concern climate & energy, and nominees for the top seats in agencies such as the EPA, DOE, and OMB.

Next meeting:

February 27th, 1 PM ET

Contact Abby Maxwell (mailto:[email protected]) to get involved.

The Regenerative Agriculture Steering Committee is working to advocate for sustainable agriculture, environmental justice, and support for underserved and BIPOC farmers.

What you missed: We reviewed the high-level and marker bill priorities that were established by the group earlier in our advocacy efforts and discussed their relevance in the new political climate.

Next meeting:

February 13th, 1 PM ET

Contact Liza LaManna (mailto:[email protected]?subject=&body=) to get involved.

The Safer Chemicals & Circular Economy Steering Committee engages in public policy initiatives for safer chemicals and sustainable materials, emphasizing restricting hazardous substances and transitioning to circular materials and systems for a regenerative economy.

What you missed: Supporting the EPA Safer Choice campaign and advancing EPR legislation and bottle bills.

Next meeting:

February 19, 3 PM ET

Contact Abby Maxwell (mailto:[email protected]) to get involved.

Small Business, Social Enterprise & Local Economies Steering Committee focuses on building a collective voice and power to advance campaigns and public policy efforts at the local, state and national levels in support of small businesses, social enterprises and local economies. Together, we shape the goals, key priorities, and strategies we want to pursue.

What you missed: In the last call, we kicked off the new working group with an exploratory discussion. Join us for the next call on Immigration and Tariffs.

Next meeting:

February 18th, 2 PM ET

Contact David Levine (mailto:[email protected]) to get involved.

Contact the Member Team (mailto:[email protected]?subject=&body=) to learn about policy briefs, steering committees and other membership benefits.


** GRANT & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute - Due March 18, 2025

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute are teaming up to launch a new program that offers up to $50,000 in funding to 30 community-based organizations. These projects will use data to address pressing local needs—from housing to transportation to environmental pollution—making strides toward building healthier communities.
Learn More Here ([link removed])


** INVESTORS CIRCLE CORNER
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** Investors Circle News
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Babbie Jacobs, IC Board Member, and event MC

Investors Circle ([link removed]) (IC) has an over 30-year legacy connecting angels and other investors with early-stage and for-profit impact companies focused on providing social and/or environmental impact and financial returns, fostering a community where profit meets purpose.

Deb Parsons, Managing Director, Business Development & Client Engagement, Impact Assets and Peter Lupoff, IC Board Member and Partner, Beatrice Advisors Multi-Family Office and Principal, Lupoff/Stevens Family Office

IC’s community of investor-members has collectively deployed over $275 million into more than 350 companies. You can be part of both ASBN and IC, expanding your impact for good in the world. Becoming a member of both ASBN and IC is even easier and affordable than before. IC has opened up its IC Associate ([link removed]) Membership at a discounted price for members of ASBN and other great sister impact organizations. The Associate Membership is for future investors, current investors, “retired” impact investors who want to stay connected or anyone looking to learn more about the angel investment and impact investment community.

Experiencing the Investors Circle Community is the best way to help you decide if you would like to join us. We welcome investors and other potential members to "Be Our Guest" and visit before making a membership decision. Please go to our events page ([link removed]) and register if you would like to visit one of our gatherings.
* National Monthly Virtual Meeting: Held monthly on first Thursdays at 3:00 pm Eastern Time. In February’s meeting, we will hold our monthly virtual networking mixer and hear about compelling impact financing opportunities with a handful of early-stage companies that are gaining impressive traction.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in person on January 30 at the La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley, California for the Impactful Community Investing Gathering, hosted by Investors Circle and selected IC Community Partners. We had an amazing time together and heard numerous stories of hope and the good work so many in our impact community are focused on. We look forward to further collaboration with many of our impact community friends as we hold additional gatherings in 2025.

Interested in learning more about membership?

Reach out to the Member Team (mailto:[email protected]?subject=I%20Am%20Interested%20in%20Becoming%20a%20Member&body=) today.

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