Rating agencies as Fitch, Moody’s, or S&P, assess the financial credibility of companies and economies. Some years ago, sustainability rating agencies have started considering non‐ financial measurements like environmental, social and governance criteria, for example lobbying practices. The investment community is ‘becoming more involved in assessing the public affairs activities of companies as part of a full view of business performance’ (Blueprint et al. 2007: 10). Therefore the questions arise: 1) How do different actors characterize lobbying as being sustainable and responsible? 2) Is there a pattern explaining how individuals and companies deal with occasional contradictions between sustainability and lobbying? Regarding their lobbying practices I analyzed the websites of the DAX30, OMXCopenhagen20 and DJIA30 corporations, a sustainability rating agency’s database, the EU as well as the US federal lobby register. Additionally, I conducted more than 80 expert interviews with lobbyists and sustainable investment professionals from both the USA and Europe.
