Dear John,
Corporations must participate in solving the world’s biggest challenges. After 31 years, As You Sow’s work holding corporations accountable is attracting a whole new level of attention – and this year, hostility. Shareholder advocacy and sustainable investing is under systematic attack from forces seeking to maintain a destructive status quo and roll back hard-won gains. In the face of climate catastrophe, massive plastic pollution, toxification,
skyrocketing CEO pay, and systemic racism, will you make a year-end gift to build a just and sustainable world? | | | | | The nation’s “top corporate watchdog” three years in a row – now under attack
Earlier this year, 21 red-state Attorneys General referenced As You Sow an astounding 38 times in their letter telling major asset managers like BlackRock and Vanguard to stop acting as though the
future of the planet mattered. Now, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee has formally subpoenaed As You Sow, alleging a potential violation of antitrust law “by entering into agreements to ‘decarbonize’ corporations and reduce emissions to net zero.” This allegation is a dramatic escalation in a campaign to reverse corporate progress on climate change and social justice. It’s also a real testament to the on-the-ground impact of As You Sow’s work – and a clarion call to fight back. |
| | | | Shareholder Advocacy is Powerful
Over 70% of the 210 companies As You Sow engaged this year took positive action. Investors voted almost $2 trillion in value in favor of our shareholder resolutions. And that’s just the beginning – - Amazon reduced plastic packaging by 12% KraftHeinz committed to cutting plastic packaging 20%, including through packaging redesign and reduction of virgin plastic material.
- Fourteen companies committed to adopt net-zero-aligned goals, establish interim science-based reduction targets, and/or advance emissions data, including insurance companies, utilities, and manufacturing companies.
- Caterpillar added two pro-climate directors and a senior management sustainability executive.
- We called on five of the largest U.S. banks to disclose how they will achieve their net zero targets, and
on ExxonMobil and Chevron for more accurate reporting on emissions targets.
- We published ten original reports to hold companies to account on their promises and public statements, including Road to Zero Emissions, Pesticides in the Pantry, The 100 Most Overpaid CEOs, Capturing the Diversity Benefit, and an expansion of our Racial Justice and Workplace Equity Scorecards to cover 3,000 companies.
- Invest Your Values, a free, powerful suite of online tools enabling you to see what companies are actually inside your retirement accounts, expanded coverage from 3,000 to 6,000 mutual funds and ETFs.
Celebrate this year’s momentum with a year-end gift for real world
impact.
| | |
| | Stand up for the right to invest in the future we all want and deserve! Let’s not allow the pro-fossil fuel far right to reverse our progress – let’s keep the impact and momentum going strong.
Forward this email to someone who might be interested in shareholder advocacy. They can sign up to receive our newsletters and reports at the bottom of this email. |
| | | | | | Here’s to you, with gratitude for the incredible progress and the change we’ll create in the critical days ahead.
We’re not stopping until we’ve secured a safe, just, and sustainable world for all, where protecting the environment and human rights is fundamental to corporate decision-making. Everyone at As You Sow is deeply grateful for your commitment to keeping this planet habitable for future generations. We have big plans, and it’s all thanks to you!
For the future,
Sarah | |
| Sarah Milne
Sr Vice President, Advancement | | |
| As You Sow’s 30+ year track record promoting corporate responsibility spans a broad range of the most important environmental
and social issues facing corporations, investors, and citizens today, including climate change, ocean plastics, pesticides, racial justice, workplace diversity, and executive compensation. | | | As You Sow
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Berkeley, CA 94701 | | | | DISCLAIMER: As You Sow is not an investment advisor, nor do we provide financial planning, legal or tax advice. The content of our programming, publications and presentations is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and should not be considered as information sufficient upon which to base any decisions on investing, purchases, sales, trades, or any other investment transactions. We do not express an opinion on the future or expected value of any security or other interest and do not explicitly or implicitly recommend or suggest an investment strategy of any kind.
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