February 8, 2017 // Boston, MA – On Monday, Trillium Asset Management and more than 100 sustainable investors and businesses signed a letter urging the Administration and Congress to continue support for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Jointly organized by the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility and the American Sustainable Business Council, the letter defends the CFPB, which has provided strong regulatory oversight of the financial sector to protect the interests of consumers, communities, and businesses since 2010. Signatories call on members of Congress to preserve financial regulations implemented by the CFPB. The agency, which oversees U.S. consumer financial …

New reports seek to create dialogue around leveraging investments for impact February 1, 2017 // Boston, MA – This week Trillium Asset Management publicly released for the first time proprietary impact reports measuring a range of ESG metrics on our key investment products.  These reports are based on a prior beta version that Trillium introduced to key partners in September.  After reviewing feedback, we have improved the content of the reports and updated the data through 2016.  The impact reports have two primary sections: 1) proxy voting and shareholder advocacy and 2) portfolio exposures in relation to key ESG metrics, …

January 30, 2017 // Boston, MA – Trillium Asset Management has sent a letter to shareholders of Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFM) calling for support of our Food Waste Reporting shareholder proposal on the company’s 2017 proxy. The letter provides an overview of the importance of the issue as well as the four main reasons why we believe shareholders should vote for this proposal. The proposal, co-filed by First Affirmative Financial Network, Green Century Capital Management, Trinity Health, and the Dominican Sisters of Houston, asks the company to issue a report on company-wide efforts to assess, reduce, and optimally manage food waste. Approximately …

January 19, 2017 // Boston, MA – During the second half of 2016 Trillium filed shareholder proposals with over two dozen companies, asking them to adopt more sustainable business practices and improve sustainability-related disclosures. We engaged with companies in new areas of advocacy and participated in many successful dialogues. Through a combination of shareholder advocacy tools (i.e. shareholder proposals, dialogue, and policy), Trillium and our clients are working to influence change in corporate behavior that we believe benefits investors, society, and the environment. Our advocacy work focused on over a dozen environmental, social, governance issues including: Toxic Chemicals & Chemical Footprinting …

January 19, 2017 // Boston, MA – Trillium Asset Management is pleased to announce that oil and gas company EOG Resources, Inc. (EOG) has made substantial commitments to improve its methane disclosures and enhance protections for LGBT employees. Following a constructive dialogue, and subsequent to a shareholder proposal filed by Trillium on behalf of three of its clients, Miller/Howard Investments, and Mercy Investment Services, EOG has committed to publicly disclose a methane emissions percentage and several other methane emissions metrics spanning at least the past three years. This will give investors the ability to evaluate EOG’s emissions performance over time. Understanding …

January 11, 2017 // Boston, MA – In November 2016, Trillium Asset Management joined over 300 investors and companies as signatories of the “Business Backs Low-Carbon USA” letter urging the incoming administration and elected leaders to support the Paris Climate Agreement and public policy helping to advance a low-carbon economy.  Yesterday, ahead of the incoming administration, the statement was re-released after the number of signatories grew to 637 investors and companies. The letter calls for U.S. leaders to support the following: “With tens of billions of dollars of U.S. renewable energy investment in the works this year alone, and far …

December 30, 2016 // Boston, MA: Bloomberg recently published a story on four shareholder proposals filed by Trillium Asset Management on minimum wage reform in its Sustainable Finance newsletter. This Fall, Trillium re-filed shareholder proposals at Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. and TJX Companies alongside Zevin Asset Management. The shareholder proposals asked each company to adopt and publish principles addressing minimum wage reform. Trillium also filed a new shareholder proposal at Home Depot on minimum wage reform and joined Zevin as co-filer on a shareholder proposal filed at CVS Health on this issue. Alicia Ritcey writes: “Investors including Trillium Asset Management …

December 29, 2016 // Boston, MA – Yesterday, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued Interpretive Bulletin 2016-1 on Shareholder Rights, recognizing the importance of proxy voting and fiduciaries engaging portfolio companies on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters. The Department emphasized that “proxies should be voted” and that shareholder engagement on “the nature of long-term business plans including plans on climate change preparedness and sustainability”, “diversity”, and “policies and practices to address environmental or social factors that have an impact on shareholder value” are appropriate. In response, Trillium Asset Management’s Director of Shareholder Advocacy, Jonas Kron released the following statement: …

The Winter 2017 issue of Investing for a Better World ® is now available for download. Investing for a Better World ® is Trillium’s biannual newsletter highlighting our approach to sustainable and responsible investing as well as the impact of our shareholder advocacy work. Articles in this issue include: Thinking Capital℠ by CEO Matt Patsky: Visit to Singapore and Post-Election Views Shareholder Advocacy: J.B. Hunt Commits to Expanding Workplace Protection and Policies Public Policy & Long-Term Business Growth Trillium Develops New Product-Specific Impact Reports New White Paper: Integrating LGBT Issues into Total Portfolio Activation Spotlight: Plymouth Church UCC Seattle Invests in Justice     Download the issue here. If you would …