Dear Friend,

To help you use your money to reflect your values, Green America shares this opportunity from Amalgamated Bank, a certified Green Business Network member.

The Time Has Come to Fight Back Against Big Oil

While New Orleans and Alaska struggle to keep rising sea levels at bay, lax regulations pursued by the Trump administration are leading to failed banks and train crashes that release sulfur dioxide and other toxic chemicals into our local communities.[i] [ii]Profits over people and the environment can also be seen in the reports that Bill Koch’s company is purposely evading the clean air act and releasing untold pollutants into the atmosphere.[iii] [iv] With each passing minute we move closer to permanently accepting the reality that climate change will make the world sicker, hungrier, poorer, gloomier and way more dangerous.

In a preview of what’s to come, El Niño’s return could further strain sensitive ecosystems, like the Great Barrier Reef and the Amazon rainforest, and begin to unleash some of the more drastic consequences of climate change.[v]

Big oil’s response to this crisis? Profiteering and capitalizing whenever they can. This industrialization of the Artic could lead to numerous health and environmental impacts. A recently announced drilling project would generate enough oil to release 9.2 million metric tons of planet-warming carbon pollution a year – equivalent to adding 2 million gas-powered cars to the roads.[vi]

What can I do?

We believe in the power of investors to motivate corporate action. The time has come to divest from the bad actors who are seeking to destroy our planet. We also believe that other corporations can be pushed further. We can help you align your investments with your values today – and it doesn’t mean you need to suffer by making less money.[vii]

Contact us for a free a “Values Alignment Check” to ensure the investments you make truly reflect your intentions.

When you purchase stock in a company you get the right to vote at annual shareholder meetings. When you invest in a broad market index fund with a firm such as Blackrock or Vanguard, not only might you own fossil fuel companies, but this voting power is often squandered by your fund manager. In many cases the manager is actively voting against what you believe in. Amalgamated thoroughly vets the managers that we use to ensure they are reflective our clients’ values. As an example, managers we work with recently announced the following shareholder actions:

• Started a recent shareholder proposal against Amazon which was put forward by Green Century and Amalgamated Bank. The proposal requests that Amazon measure and disclose all its scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions, including emissions related to its physical stores and e-commerce operations.
• As a result of a proposal, Morgan Stanley agreed to enhance its existing written standards for palm oil and forestry clients to reflect best practices, as well as create new written policy standards for soy and beef clients operating in regions with high deforestation risk.[viii]
• In response to a shareholder proposal, Lowe’s Home Improvement has issued a set of new industry-leading wood sourcing commitments that will protect forests around the world.