In our Working Paper, we are proposing something very simple: that Congress pass a law requiring public companies tell the truth about what they are doing to the planet. We are faced with a series of impending ecological crises and we know far too little to quickly and determinedly turn the tide. We are being hit with waves of low quality information from companies around the world on their sustainability, but the problem is obvious: no corporation is voluntarily going to disclose the actual facts of its ecological impacts when it can selectively dress up generalized information and trends as indicators of sustainability “performance.” The companies are in the driver’s seat. The most valuable and significant information is under their control and they will hold it under lock and key until legally required to disclose it. That makes perfect sense. No polluter wants to talk honestly about its pollution. If we are serious about deep sustainability, ecological sustainability, then we need honesty and transparency and not endlessly hollow, public relations discourse. Solving pressing ecological problems requires ecological clarity, and that means a level of honesty only law can attain.
