14/07/2025
We’re delighted to unveil the agenda of this year’s edition of The Good Lobby Summer Academy.
The Geopolitics Of Lobbying: How The New World Order Is Shaping Up Public Affairs And Advocacy
Alberto Alemanno, Professor of Law, HEC Paris & Founder, The Good Lobby
Ko Fuji, CEO, Makaira World
Lennard Kamps, Public Affairs Advisor, Natuurmonumenten
Trump’s return to the White House signals a seismic shift in how power operates globally. As the rule-based world order disintegrates, democratic institutions worldwide are under pressure from concentrated power that operates outside traditional constraints. Whether it’s tech oligarchs shaping policy through wealth rather than votes, or executives governing through social media rather than legislatures, the challenge is universal. It’s a fundamental transformation of governance itself: aggressive deregulation, executive power consolidation, and the rise of plutocratic influence are dismantling the traditional frameworks that have defined lobbying and public affairs for decades. This introductory session sets the scene for the academy’s debate.
Strategic Lobbying Within and Across Europe: Lessons from Animal Welfare
Stephanie Ghislain, Head of Advocacy, Eurogroup for Animals
In this session, we’ll explore the efforts of civil society to push for a long-overdue revision of the EU’s outdated animal welfare legislation. We’ll examine the diverse strategies employed, the hurdles encountered, and the pressing dilemmas we now face. This new political term marks a historic first: an EU Commissioner explicitly tasked with animal welfare. Yet, the broader political climate is increasingly challenging, marked by backlash against Green Deal policies, a shift to the right and to populism, increasing disinformation and constant courting of economic interests. In this context, how can we still make meaningful progress? What stance should we adopt to navigate this playground effectively? And most importantly, how can we ensure we do not waste what could be an incredible political window of opportunity.
How B Corps Lobby for Good: The New Standard?
Carlota de Paula Coelho, Senior Policy manager, B Lab Global
Sébastien Chahidi, Director, B Lab Switzerland
B Lab has adopted new standards, with minimum performance requirements in 7 impact topics such as Climate Action, Purpose and Stakeholder Governance, Fair Work, Human Rights, Environmental Stewardship and Circularity. One major novelty introduced is the Governmental Affairs and Collective Action standard, whereby B Corps are expected to adopt responsible lobbying practices and exercise stewardship over their intermediary organisations, as well as engage in advocacy efforts to promote ambitious sustainability-related legislation. In this session, we will explore this standard to gain an understanding of what is the role B Corps are expected to play in the political landscape. We will present some of the initiatives led by B Corps across different regions to showcase the many ways forward-thinking businesses have to make their voices heard.
How Can Business Associations’ Political Engagement Become More Responsible?
Christina Toenshoff, Assistant Professor, Leiden University
Christian Verschueren, Chairman of the Board, Natagora
Peter Webster, CEO, EIRIS Foundation
Susanne Kat, Senior Manager Multilateral Projects and Strategic Relationships, World Council for Sustainable Development
Business associations are very powerful interest groups. Ideally, business associations efficiently aggregate their members’ preferences and present policymakers with pre-formed, representative industry positions. Yet, lobbying data and NGO reports show that industry associations and some of their largest members are often (seemingly) misaligned on salient policies. The black-box nature of associations makes it difficult to address this misalignment This session will discuss the inner logic of business associations, their policy impact and their potential role in helping firms avoid accountability for their lobbying.
Why Companies Should Lobby for Climate and How Employees Can Help
Deborah McNamara, Executive Director, ClimateVoice
Join ClimateVoice for a dynamic conversation about the current U.S. policy landscape and how companies, sustainability professionals and employees can speak up to raise the bar on corporate leadership and promote strong climate policy advocacy. One of the biggest and highest leverage opportunities to reduce emissions at speed and scale is the adoption of strong, binding public policy by governments at all levels. While each individual company has unique abilities to help mitigate climate change, every company has the ability to influence public policy. Companies must step up to address fossil-fuel interests and large cross-sector trade associations that continue to inhibit progress on climate policy. Participants will identify obstruction by trade associations, and explore advocacy techniques to influence corporate leadership.
The New Activism: How People-Powered Campaigning Is Being Rewritten And Why
Luis Morago, Senior Director of Team Learning and Development, AVAAZ
High-performing teams are essential in driving transformative change by combining impact, resilience, and wellness. As we transition from an individual-focused approach to a collaborative model, the synergy within teams becomes pivotal in reimagining activism and campaigning. This panel discussion will explore how innovative team dynamics are challenging traditional methods, paving the way for new strategies in both online and offline engagement.
What role if any for Philanthropy in Supporting Advocacy and Lobbying Efforts?
Neil Campbell, Social Impact Advisor, Independent
Kizito Byenkya, Advocacy Director, Open Society Foundations
Alberto Alemanno, Professor of Law, HEC Paris & Founder, The Good Lobby
Michael Laermann, Senior Policy Advisor, Ecopreneur
Vanja Skoric, Program Director, European Center for Not-for-Profit Law Stichting
Philanthropy plays a critical role supporting civil society to achieve systemic change which addresses the root causes of social and environmental challenges. Such change can often only be secured by influencing government policies and practices. By funding advocacy, philanthropy can empower citizen-led change and contribute to the vibrancy of democratic societies. This panel discussion will explore whether and how philanthropies partner with civil society to do this, and what opportunities there are to further enhance this collaboration.
The Local Level as a New Arena of Influence?
Emilia Korkea-Aho, Professor of European Law and Legislative Studies, University of Eastern Finland
Local-level lobbying plays a critical role in shaping policies that address community-specific challenges and drive systemic change. While existing research is still emerging—with key studies hailing from the US—our preliminary findings from Finland shed new light on the unique dynamics of local engagement compared to national, federal, and international lobbying. This session will explore why lobbyists should refocus their efforts on the local level and what strategic considerations are essential for effective advocacy. We will also shift perspectives to examine how cities and regions are emerging as influential lobbyists in their own right, offering fresh insights into a transformative approach to policy influence.
Narratives: Building A United Civil Society Voice For A Changing Environment
Daniel Stanley, Executive Director, Future Narratives Lab
Bridging the Gap: Public-Private Dialogue for a Greener Economy
Facundo Etchebehere, Co-Founder, Ambition Loop
Arielle Visson, Head of Legal Affairs, Sustainability, and Product Compliance, Tetra Pak (TBC)
Peter Webster, CEO, EIRIS Foundation
Susanne Kat, Senior Manager Multilateral Projects and Strategic Relationships, World Council for Sustainable Development
How can policy makers, businesses, and the public sector move beyond recognising environmental challenges to unlocking meaningful transitions? This panel debate examines why policy responses often lag behind the scale of issues and explores how structured public-private dialogue can help close that gap. By emphasising the principles of inclusion and transparency of outcomes, the discussion will highlight how diverse perspectives from business, NGOs, and academia can be harnessed to set ambitious targets and deliver real, measurable change. The session will also explore the unique opportunities that arise when all stakeholders engage openly, and how balanced representation and international collaboration are crucial for shaping effective policies that promote sustainable development.
Responsibly Lobbying International Organisations?
Peter Webster, CEO, EIRIS Foundation
Egle Spina, Corporate Social Lobbying Project Manager, EIRIS Foundation
The private sector plays an important role in international negotiations. This is particularly evident in climate-related processes, but similar dynamics are emerging in the human rights sphere. While the private sector can offer valuable expertise and help build support for international agreements, its growing presence has also raised concerns about transparency, accountability, and conflicts of interest. In processes like the UN Plastic Treaty, climate COPs, and the Business and Human Rights Treaty, civil society organisations are calling for stronger safeguards to ensure that corporate involvement does not compromise public interest outcomes. These movements raise questions about how to balance participation and ensure that the outcomes of international negotiations benefit people and the planet. This session will explore the current landscape of corporate participation in international organisations’ negotiations, the benefits and risks it entails, the potential for a standardised guidance on how to manage these engagements, and what this guidance should look like to protect the integrity of global decision-making.
Inclusive Leadership Amidst Polarisation and Misinformation: Awaken the Advocate Within You
Oana Iordachescu, Founder, Fair Culture
No one said the path to true inclusion would be easy. Equality and equity advocates are having to strengthen their advocacy skills. The moment many have been preparing for has arrived. We’ll discuss the narrative war surrounding DEI and the changes in policies and practices within multinational companies. We’ll review strategies to counter the scepticism some stakeholders have about the transformative power of inclusion as an accelerator of innovation and business success.
How to Lobby for Human Rights in a New Geopolitical Landscape
Massimo Toschi, International Relations Officer & SDG Coordinator, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
As global dynamics evolve and a new multilateral landscape emerges, the human rights community must adapt its strategies to remain influential in EU policy making. This session challenges the status quo, urging advocates to move beyond traditional allies and build bridges across the political spectrum. In a context where human rights risk being sidelined or dismissed as bureaucratic hurdles, we must reframe them as essential pillars of democratic governance. The session will highlight the importance of timing, clarity, and strategic traction in advocacy, while promoting narratives that resonate with broader audiences and dispel the idea that human rights are an elite concern. Grounded in foresight and anticipatory governance, it calls for a new strategic compass to navigate complexity. Human rights are not optional—they are foundational, and our advocacy must reflect that urgency.