Shareholder advocacy brings change ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

[Image alt text: As You Sow 30th Anniversary Logo]Dear John,

People everywhere are stepping up for a cleaner future. When ordinary people come together, we can achieve extraordinary things.

Thank you for being such an important part of this exciting journey! Here’s some of the latest news for you –

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Shareholder Votes Offer Check on Egregious CEO Pay

As You Sow released its 9th annual report on The 100 Most Overpaid CEOs, focused on how financial managers hold companies accountable for excessive compensation packages. Chief executives of S&P 500 companies make 324 times more than their median-paid workers on average, up from 299 times in 2020.

There is some good news, shareholder votes against excessive CEO pay continued its five-year upward trajectory.

During the report’s webinar, one of our panelists, Robert Reich, former U.S. Secretary of Labor, said “a company’s executive compensation directly reflects its directors’ priorities and outlook. You can tell if a company is committed to building a sustainable future by how it pays its CEO. The continuous, exorbitant increases in executive compensation over the past four decades typify a rigged system that benefits the wealthy at the expense of workers, and the rest of us.”

The U.S. leads the world in excessive executive compensation, to the detriment of all stakeholders.

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Companies Making Significant Revenue from Clean Energy

As You Sow updated its Clean200 global list of publicly traded companies leading the way to a clean energy future. There are now more than 1,000 companies that have committed to a net-zero-emission target, representing $23 trillion in market value.

These companies are putting sustainability at the heart of their products, services, business models, and investments, helping to move the world onto a more sustainable trajectory.

“Market forces continue to show that the new energy economy is not only a growth sector but continues to outperform fossil fuel-based energy. We are living through the ‘Great Transition’ as capital flows drive the path to averting climate catastrophe,” said Andrew Behar, CEO of As You Sow.

The companies contributing the most focus on products, materials, and services related to energy efficiency.

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Silencing Shareholder Voices on Climate Risk

Amazon and Comcast recently asked the SEC to reject As You Sow’s shareholder resolutions, which would prevent shareholders from considering these concepts and voting on them. The resolutions call for the companies to explain how they are protecting employees from the climate risk stemming from their retirement plans’ default investment options that are filled with fossil fuels and deforestation.

"Polling shows large majorities of employees want their retirement savings to be in climate-safe sustainable investment options,” said Grant Bradski, As You Sow’s Sustainable Investing Initiative Coordinator. “Companies that aren't responsive to this demand are not only exposing their workers to climate-related financial risk, but also may have issues with hiring and employee retention.”

These requests claim shareholders do not have the right to inquire about climate risk stemming from their 401(k) plans.This is the kind of work we've been doing for over three decades. It wouldn't be possible without your support. Together, we can show the world our movement is powerful, and we have the solutions that our people and planet desperately need right now.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. We look forward to sharing more details soon.

For the future, [Image alt text: Photo of Jenna Belisle] Jenna L. Belisle

Director of Individual Giving

To learn more about As You Sow’s groundbreaking research and reports, please visit our website. < [link removed] >

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As You Sow’s 30-year track record promoting environmental and social corporate responsibility and facilitating values-aligned investing spans many of the most important environmental and social issues facing us today, including climate change, ocean plastics, pesticides, racial justice, workplace diversity, and executive compensation. Click here to donate. < [link removed] > < [link removed] > < [link removed] > < [link removed] > < [link removed] >

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[Image alt text: Charity Navigator Four Star emblem and Candid Platinum emblem]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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