How To Comfortably Retire Without Private Prison Investing

The term "Prison Free" may mean different things to different people. As You Sow’s Prison Free Funds provides a range, with the lowest grades going to private prison operators. They then calculate the percentage of holdings of support companies including suppliers of food, laundry, IT, power, banking, and other services and products needed to run the prison industry and the militarization of borders and immigration policing.  Read More →

Read More
First Solar excludes deep sea mined minerals after shareholder pressure

“First Solar’s commitment leads the way to ensuring that we don’t unwittingly create yet another globally destructive practice,” said Elizabeth Levy, biodiversity program coordinator at As You Sow. “Companies that promote deep sea mining insist that we need deep seabed minerals now to fuel the energy transition; First Solar’s insistence on a precautionary process challenges this false narrative and shows others in the renewable energy industry that we don’t need to exploit the deep sea, potentially irrevocably, for the energy transition to continue.”  Read More →

Read More
Costco won't join DEI backlash. Why shareholders rejected anti-'woke' proposal.

“These are businesses that have existed longer than four years. We expect them to exist beyond this four-year window in front of us,” said Meredith Benton, principal founder of Whistle Stop Capital, which consults with As You Sow on DEI. “What we want to see is them making decisions that are in their business interests over the long term.”  Read More →

Read More
While Los Angeles Burns, Judge Says It's Illegal for Investors to Consider Climate Risk

The broad scope of his opinion seems "designed to curb any assessment of climate impact or climate risk," said Danielle Fugere, president and chief counsel of As You Sow. "[The opinion determines] just because American Airlines has adopted climate change principles and BlackRock has too, therefore one can conclude they are colluding in some way or they have conflicts of interest. That's such an enormous leap. It makes no sense in today's market where climate change is a risk, investors and companies have to address those risks, and if they don't, they will be impacted financially and negatively."  Read More →

Read More
SEC panel urged to back shareholder rights, proposal process

Shareholder Rights Group — whose members include nonprofits As You Sow, Ceres and the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, as well as the nation’s largest federation of unions — sent the letter Thursday, after the IAC explored proxy proposals and the implications of ExxonMobil’s lawsuit against Arjuna Capital at a meeting last month.  Read More

Read More
How concentrated ownership in the food system increases risk – and what we can do about it

Iconic foods like Georgia peaches, Florida oranges, and Ecuadorian chocolate are threatened by increasing weather extremes and shifting climates. As You Sow has documented the trend in a recent report and an accompanying article, climate change is driving up the cost of food products including olive oil, coffee, rice, and other staples.  Read More

Read More