PepsiCo Foundation Announces Recycling Challenge, But Commitment Unlikely to Move the Needle

PepsiCo Foundation announced this morning that it will provide $10 million in funding to jumpstart the “All In On Recycling” challenge to make it easier for 25 million families across the country to recycle bottles and cans.

The announcement comes eight years after the nonprofit corporate watchdog As You Sow agreed to withdraw a 2010 Pepsi shareholder proposal after the company promised to work with peers to increase the beverage container recycling rate to 50% by 2018. However…

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Investors Call on General Electric to Pull Out of New Coal Plant Proposed in Kenya

A group of 56 institutional and individual investors representing nearly $713 billion in AUM sent a letter to General Electric (GE) today calling on the company to reconsider its recent decision to acquire a 20% stake in Kenya’s proposed Lamu coal plant. Lamu is one of Kenya’s top tourist destinations and home to an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The proposed coal plant faces fierce opposition, both locally and internationally.

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Starbucks to Eliminate Plastic Straws Following Strong Investor Support for As You Sow Proposal

As You Sow is pleased to learn via news reports of Starbucks’ commitment to phase out plastic straws at all stores by 2020. A shareholder proposal filed by As You Sow in March, asking the company to phase out plastic straws, received the support of nearly 30% of shareholders, with shares worth $54 billion. In addition, environmental groups collected 1 million signatures on a petition asking for similar action, which was presented to company CEO Kevin Johnson.

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First of Its Kind Web Tool Lets You Know if You’re Funding Gun Violence and War

Weapon Free Funds, a new tool from non-profit groups As You Sow and CODEPINK, was released today to help individuals, communities, universities and others review their mutual fund investments for holdings in military contractors and gun manufacturers and retailers. Handguns, assault rifles, ammunition, cluster munitions, landmines and nuclear weapons are often embedded in commonly-held mutual funds and ETFs.

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More Than a Quarter of Shareholders Concerned General Motors Will Put the Brakes on Greenhouse Gas Reductions

Today, General Motors (GM) shareholders voted on a resolution filed by shareholder representative As You Sow urging the Company to report on how it will address the Trump administration’s proposed weakening of CAFE standards. 26% of GM’s shareholders asked the company for clarity on whether, and to what degree, the company will change its product plans and business strategy as a result of the announced weakening of standards.

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Shareholders Earn Strong Vote on Climate-Related Methane Proposal at Chevron Annual General Meeting

Approximately 45% of Chevron’s shareholders voted today in favor of a fugitive methane reduction resolution put forward by shareholder advocate As You Sow and co-filers. This proposal highlights Chevron as one of the top methane emitters, ranking 17 out of the highest 100 methane emitters from onshore production while also noting its failure to keep up with peers in reporting its methane reduction actions.

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Chevron AGM: Investor Angst Grows With Oil Giants’ Refusal to Plan Transition to Low Carbon Economy

Investors at Chevron Corporation’s annual meeting will vote today on a shareholder resolution put forward by As You Sow and Arjuna Capital. The resolution asks Chevron to report to shareholders on how the company plans to transition its business model to successfully align with a decarbonizing energy market, while also taking a role in helping to limit the planet’s warming to under two degrees Celsius.

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As You Sow Statement on ExxonMobil Announcement of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions

ExxonMobil today announced an intent to reduce methane emissions by 15% by 2020 and undertake other greenhouse gas reduction measures at refining and chemical manufacturing operations focused on efficiency improvements. This announcement follows a successful shareholder vote of nearly 40% on As You Sow’s 2017 methane resolution with ExxonMobil asking the company to detail plans to curtail its methane emissions.

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Nearly One-Third of Mondelez International Shareholders Call for Action on Plastic Packaging

Nearly a third of food and beverage giant Mondelez International’s shareholders supported a proposal by As You Sow presented at its annual meeting yesterday asking the company to set a time table to phase out non-recyclable plastic packaging, signaling strong concern that Mondelez is introducing liability to its brand through slow action toward recyclability.

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Anadarko Shareholders Stun with Majority Vote for Resolution Requesting Climate Change Accountability

Today, a majority of Anadarko shareholders voted in favor of an As You Sow proposal asking the Company to assess the risks to its portfolio of scenarios consistent with limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius or below, as defined in the Paris Agreement. Shareholders have signaled a need to understand how Anadarko will retain its value in an increasingly low carbon energy market.

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