Andrew Behar, CEO of As You Sow and report co-author, claimed the results show a "Great Transition" is underway towards a low carbon economy.
"Market forces continue to show that the new energy economy is not only a growth sector, but continues to outperform fossil fuel based energy," he said. "Regardless of politics, investors appear to be following the money."
Read MoreWhat should climate-conscious people do to eat most sustainably? How people approach their diet is deeply personal and can be extremely controversial. Roughly 1 in 9 people in the world are undernourished. Addressing hunger while making the food chain more sustainable is critical for addressing climate change. Are GMOs the answer to food shortages, or do they jeopardize our crops with destructive cycles of pesticide resistance? Is our appetite for animal protein unsustainable, is worldwide veganism possible? Greg asks farmers, scientists and others what’s best for climate and our health.
Read More"This is a big victory, and it's taken a long time. Dunkin agreed way back in 2010, in theory, to phase out [foam cups], but it took until today for them to actually give a date and to say that they are going to switch to paper... We're talking about some very positive impacts on world oceans in terms of reducing plastic pollution," said Conrad MacKerron, Senior Vice President of As You Sow.
Read More"It's low-hanging fruit for companies to extend ESG into retirement planning," said Andrew Behar, CEO of As You Sow. "Seventy-four percent of Fortune 1000 company employees want to invest in a future they can live in." For some, it may be fossil fuel-free, for others it could be gender equity and for others, a weapons-free fund.
Read MoreAndrew Behar: Corporate managers are responsible to their boards of directors and their boards are responsible to the shareholders. In terms of power, shareholders often have the last word, especially with a strong vote.
Read MoreJust last week, As You Sow filed a resolution against Chevron urging it to improve methane reporting. Chevron has lagged behind their peers on disclosure and transparency and earned a reputation as one of the more aggressive opponents of commonsense climate rules. EDF is hoping the forthcoming change of leadership will result in the company taking a different tact when it comes to climate.
Read More“They said they had some hoops to jump through,” says Conrad Mackerron, the director of the waste and recycling program at As You Sow. “Just before the holiday, they indicated that they were going to be able to do this. I said, ‘That’s great, but you need to put it on paper.’ But they followed through in the same [way] as when they stuck to their word back in 2012 when they stopped the foam use in the U.S.”
Read More“I appreciated today’s letter, particularly the encouragement not to ‘succumb to short-term pressures to distribute earnings,’” said Rosanna Landis Weaver, program manager at shareholder advocacy group As You Sow, which promotes environmental and social corporate responsibility, in an email, adding that she took his words to be a reference to stock buybacks and dividends — measures often designed to placate shareholders without boosting the long-term value of a company.
Read More“All indications are that demand is increasing,” said Austin Wilson, program manager for activist group As You Sow, which is pushing Sanderson to stop using certain antibiotics.
Read MoreMcDonald’s is expected to announce a packaging and recycling initiative later this week, said Conrad MacKerron, a senior vice president of As You Sow. “We do appreciate what McDonald’s has done,” he said. “It’s taken a long time, but better late than never.”
Read MoreAs You Sow, a shareholder advocacy group that promotes social and corporate environmental responsibility headquartered in Oakland, California, has refiled a resolution with McDonald’s Corp., Oak Brook, Illinois, for 2018 urging the company to assess the environmental impact of its polystyrene use in beverage cups and food trays. The same proposal was voted on by shareholders earlier this year and received the support of nearly one-third of shares voted.
Read MoreThomas Van Dyck, the founder of shareholder advocacy group As You Sow, has been a leader in the field of socially responsible investment for more than 30 years. At a recent Bioneers Conference appearance in Marin County, CA, Van Dyck offered thoughts on how to speed up the clean energy transition.
Read MoreAs You Sow, Boston Common Asset Management and The Investor Environmental Health Network (IEHN) released the 2017 special edition of the Disclosing the Facts scorecard.
Read MoreIt would have been difficult for Exxon to ignore the shareholder vote, said Danielle Fugere, president of As You Sow. "The inevitability of a decarbonizing economy makes it mission critical that Exxon address the risk to its business-as-usual model," she said. "We hope that Exxon's announcement signals a fundamental change in the company's direction on climate change."
Read MoreIn 2016, according to non-profit As YouSow.org, which advocates for green-focused investors, only one of the 100 largest 401(k) plans offered a fund choice that could be classified as social, responsible, or impactful – which can achieve green benefits for nature and stronger financial return potential.
Read MoreNow there is a tool, the website Fossil Free Funds, that helps pinpoint funds and E.T.F.s focused on companies withsmaller carbon footprints. “There were 10 funds when we started that we identified as fossil-fuel free,” said Andrew S. Behar, chief executive officer of As You Sow, the Oakland, Calif., environmental group that created Fossil Free Funds. “Now it’s up to 31.”
Read MoreRosanna Landis Weaver, an executive compensation expert at the nonprofit As You Sow, said it's unusual to see a CEO's bonus -- which typically follows formulas tied to profit goals or other financial performance measures -- docked for offensive personal behavior. But, she said, "I think boards are feeling more emboldened to address compensation directly and that’s a good thing. We keep talking about pay for performance, but pay can be a stick as well as a carrot."
Read More“This appears to be an effort by S.C. Johnson to bolster its brand by adding companies that focus on sustainability and specialize in biodegradable and nontoxic ingredients,” says Conrad MacKerron, senior vice president of California-based As You Sow, an advocacy group that tracks corporate environmental efforts.
Read MoreThe new proposal from the non-profits As You Sow and Oxfam America will get a vote from investors at the company’s annual meeting in early 2018 if it is not successfully challenged by the company with regulators.
“We expect to see a majority vote this year,” said Austin Wilson, environmental health manager at As You Sow.
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