ABA: Good Citizen
In alignment with the association’s commitment to social responsibility, here are some of the ways that ABA strives to be a good citizen in the world.
Fighting Human Trafficking
At our Institutes, ABA promotes TraffickCam, a free tool that assists law enforcement officials in fighting human trafficking. TraffickCam allows anyone with a smartphone to help combat human trafficking while traveling by uploading photos of hotel rooms to a law enforcement database. Federal, state, and local law enforcement can match these identified hotel rooms with those featured in human trafficking advertisements, enabling them to locate hotels being used for human trafficking purposes.
Fighting Climate Change
ABA chooses Institute venues that are LEED-certified, indicating that they were designed, constructed, and maintained to improve efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and prioritize sustainability, and/or that prioritize robust recycling programs and green initiatives.
ABA serves vegetarian meals as the primary meals at Institutes. Reducing meat consumption helps the environment and combats climate change by conserving water; supporting biodiversity; and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and soil degradation.
After Institutes, any materials that ABA doesn’t take with us when we leave are recycled or donated to local nonprofit organizations and/or schools. Materials used during the conference are compostable, recycled, and/or recyclable whenever possible.
ABA is a fully remote workplace. Maintaining a 100% remote workplace helps combat climate change by eliminating daily employee commutes—reducing transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption.
The investment policy for ABA’s endowment prohibits investments in companies that have fossil fuel exposure and supports investments in clean energy companies and companies with strong climate commitments and voting support, as determined by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria.
Strengthen Democracy
ABA partners with the League of Women Voters and empowers its independent bookstore members to support nonpartisan “get out the vote” efforts, encourage civic participation, and ensure that more voices are heard in the democratic process. ABA provides independent bookstores with election information, voting resources, and “get out the vote” marketing assets to share with their customers.
Support Indigenous Communities
ABA recognizes that responsible citizenship includes acknowledging the Indigenous peoples who have long been the stewards of the lands where we gather. When hosting Institutes, ABA makes a public acknowledgment of this stewardship and makes a donation to a local Indigenous organization as a way to recognize this history and contribute to the community connected to the land.