As You Sow Blog — As You Sow

As You Sow Launches Investor Alliance to Engage Companies on Plastic Pollution

As You Sow Launches Investor Alliance to Engage Companies on Plastic Pollution

As You Sow is pleased to announce the launch of the Plastic Solutions Investor Alliance, an international coalition of investors that will engage publicly traded consumer goods companies on the threat posed by plastic waste and pollution. Twenty-five institutional investors from four countries with a combined $1 trillion of assets under management have signed a declaration citing plastic pollution as a clear corporate brand risk and pledging to interact with leading companies to find solutions through new corporate commitments, programs, and policies.

wasteConrad MacKerronJune 14, 2018ocean plastics, conrad-mackerron

Is Cheerios Really Saving Bees, or Is It Just PR Buzz?

Is Cheerios Really Saving Bees, or Is It Just PR Buzz?

At the beginning of the modern, health-conscious age, cereal giant General Mills faced a big problem. Traditional snacks and cereals were still profitable but were no longer growing in sales, as consumers of all kinds began to prefer healthier, more authentic food.

So, General Mills did two things. First they bought lots of organic and “natural” food brands that were already known by consumers, like Annie’s, and second, they made old brands more appealing by eliminating artificial ingredients and committing to sustainable agriculture.

environmental healthAsYouSowJune 14, 2018General Mills, austin-wilson, Zoey Olbum, Pesticides, Pollinators

Automakers Fighting for Dirtier Cars?

Automakers Fighting for Dirtier Cars?

These strong standards are imperative for U.S. automakers to stay competitive in a global market. Companies rarely achieve greater pollution reductions than required by law. So a weak standard in the U.S. can easily put U.S. automakers behind the curve. The European Union plans to meet a fuel standard of 56.8 gallons by 2021. China set their standard at 47.7 gallons by 2020. India, South Korea, and Japan all have comparable fuel-efficiency goals as well.

energyAs You SowJune 11, 2018General Mills, danielle-fugere, Zack Reda

Shareholders Are Plugging Methane Leaks Themselves

Shareholders Are Plugging Methane Leaks Themselves

Mark 2018 as the year that irresponsible methane emissions became nearly universally unacceptable. Methane mitigation is now serious business – as demonstrated by some astounding shareholder vote percentages supporting methane-related resolutions this year.

energyCyrus NematiJune 1, 2018methane, Chevron

Walmart’s pay ratio reflects a business model that perpetuates income inequality

Walmart’s pay ratio reflects a business model that perpetuates income inequality

Walmart's CEO earns 1,188 times as much as the company's median worker.

In other words, it would take 11 such employees a century to earn what the CEO made in 2017.

CEO PayRosanna Landis-WeaverMay 24, 2018Walmart, rosanna-landis-weaver

Measure the clean energy impact of your savings

Measure the clean energy impact of your savings

Divestment isn’t the end - there’s a way to double your impact. You can make sure the money you’ve taken out of fossil fuels is working towards a clean energy future. See how much of your savings are helping build wind turbines, solar panels, and other clean technologies.

invest your valuesAndrew MontesMay 15, 2018andrew-montes, fossil free funds

Resin Industry Takes First Tentative Step to Deal with Plastic Pollution

Resin Industry Takes First Tentative Step to Deal with Plastic Pollution

The plastic pollution crisis has finally resulted in a wakeup call, albeit weak and tentative, by U.S. plastic resin producers.

wasteConrad MacKerronMay 10, 2018conrad-mackerron, ocean plastics

Denny’s Shareholders Cry Fowl, Demand Better Meat Standards

Denny’s Shareholders Cry Fowl, Demand Better Meat Standards

Healthy, environmentally-friendly food is taking off in every corner of society and the restaurant chains we grew up with are struggling to adapt. They are slow and tentative to move, and often need a push from their own shareholders.

environmental healthAustin WilsonMay 9, 2018Denny's, antibiotics

Slavery Makes a Monster

Slavery Makes a Monster

Monster Beverage has an obligation to its consumers, its shareholders, and the employees of its supply chain to be transparent. Transparency is the first step in making progress toward ending modern slavery.

human rightsAndrew BeharMay 3, 2018andrew-behar, Monster Beverage, slavery

No Blue, No Green: A story of the sea turtle in our present day oceans

No Blue, No Green: A story of the sea turtle in our present day oceans

Plastic isn’t just in the obvious places like cheap toys and disposable cups. We’ve even discovered recent research findings that salt and honey contain microplastics. Our plastic addiction has come full circle and has begun to affect even our own bodies alongside the multitudes of marine animals that are also affected.

ocean plasticsZoey OlbumApril 24, 2018Zoey Olbum

Are Fossil Fuel Frackers Overselling Plastic?

Are Fossil Fuel Frackers Overselling Plastic?

Alarm bells have long been ringing about the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing or “fracking”. Opposition has focused on community health impacts from air and water emissions as well as climate change impacts from leaking methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Read More -->

ocean plastics, energyLila HolzmanApril 9, 2018Fracking, climate change, lila-holzman, conrad-mackerron

Exxon, It’s Time for an Intervention

Exxon, It’s Time for an Intervention

The SEC is not meant to protect ExxonMobil from important shareholder questions. Rather, the proposal process is intended to allow an open discussion between shareholders and their company.

energyDanielle FugereMarch 27, 2018ExxonMobil, exxon, carbon asset transition, danielle-fugere

It’s Now or Never Starbucks: Reduce Single Use Plastics and Recycle Your Cups!

It’s Now or Never Starbucks: Reduce Single Use Plastics and Recycle Your Cups!

Starbucks, once a bold leader in greening its packaging and source reduction policies, is now falling behind. On March 21, actor, filmmaker and UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador Adrian Grenier will present As You Sow’s shareholder resolution at Starbucks’ annual general meeting asking ...

wasteConrad MacKerronMarch 19, 2018starbucks, conrad-mackerron

Elegy to the Absurd: How Executive Compensation Got Ridiculous

Elegy to the Absurd: How Executive Compensation Got Ridiculous

Albert Camus once wrote that “the absurd is born of this confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world.” The silence of the world has been broken on exorbitant pay packages for CEOs, and the truth is indeed absurd.

CEO PayRosanna Landis-WeaverMarch 16, 2018pay ratios, overpaid CEOs, rosanna-landis-weaver, cyrus-nemati

Shareholders Can (And Do!) Beat Bad Policy

Shareholders Can (And Do!) Beat Bad Policy

When positive change doesn’t come from the federal government, or from corporations, who can we rely on? More than ever, it is clear that investors who use their voices as a powerful force for positive change can make a difference at companies that want to thrive and survive in the future.

invest your valuesAndrew BeharMarch 13, 2018proxy preview

Are U.S. Auto Companies Driving Backward?

Are U.S. Auto Companies Driving Backward?

The automotive sector has a key role to play in helping to prevent climate change. Transportation accounts for more than 27 percent of U.S. greenhouse emissions. Given the accelerating pace of climate change and its devastating impacts, greenhouse gas emission reductions by the auto sector -- a key contributor of these gases -- must accelerate and must do so in the short term.

energyDanielle FugereMarch 8, 2018climate change, danielle-fugere

In the wake of yet another mass shooting, a call for weapons-free finance

In the wake of yet another mass shooting, a call for weapons-free finance

The financial sector plays a role funneling billions of dollars to companies that make the weapons used in mass shootings, and these banks and lenders are increasingly acknowledging a moral responsibility to shun these weapon companies, even if legislators won’t.

invest your valuesAndrew BeharFebruary 27, 2018andrew-montes, andrew-behar

Science Deniers of the Chicken Industry Get a Rude Awakening

Science Deniers of the Chicken Industry Get a Rude Awakening

Although many corporations still pollute waterways and finance shadowy lobbying groups, it’s getting harder for companies to outright deny scientific consensus. It’s only going to get harder for Sanderson Farms, making now the perfect time to face reality.

environmental healthAustin WilsonFebruary 21, 2018austin-wilson, antibiotics, sanderson farms

What's in a chocolate bar?

What's in a chocolate bar?

That which we call cocoa, by any other name would smell as sweet, but the same can’t be said for lead and cadmium. While dark chocolate is often marketed as healthful because it contains antioxidants, it also frequently contains lead and cadmium, an attribute not marketed to consumers. You’d be amazed at what a little sugar can cover up.

environmental healthDanielle FugereFebruary 15, 2018chocolate, toxic enforcement, danielle-fugere

A New Model For Corporate Governance…With Teeth!

A New Model For Corporate Governance…With Teeth!

Yesterday, Andrew Ross Sorkin of the NYT published a story on BlackRock CEO Larry Fink’s letter to major corporations in which he states, “Society is demanding that companies, both public and private, serve a social purpose…to prosper over time, every company must not only deliver financial performance, but also show how it makes a positive contribution to society.”

invest your valuesAndrew BeharJanuary 17, 2018andrew-behar, blackrock