June 6, 2018 // Boston, MA – At last week’s annual meeting, Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) shareholders sent a strong message to management when Trillium Asset Management’s risk oversight committee shareholder proposal received a 45% vote of non-insiders. This means 45% of the total votes cast, after excluding the votes of 14 insiders that are executive officers and directors, were in favor of our proposal. Investor demand for greater oversight and accountability has steadily mounted as the frequency and string of controversies has sparked extensive criticism and concern. The shareholder proposal asked Facebook to establish a Risk Oversight Committee at the …

Boston, MA // May 30, 2018 – Trillium Asset Management commends Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ :TSCO), the largest retailer of rural lifestyle stores, for providing in its recently published 2017 Stewardship Report clear disclosure and strategies to eliminate bee harming neonicotinoid (“neonic”) pesticides in its products and supply chain. In March, Trillium and Clean Yield Asset Management successfully withdrew a shareholder proposal asking the company to report on risks of selling pesticide-containing products linked to pollinator decline. Farms and backyard gardens maintained by Tractor Supply customers may provide important safe havens for pollinators. A typical farm or garden owner shopping …

May 18, 2018 // Boston, MA – Trillium Asset Management published a letter to Travelers Companies (NYSE: TRV) shareholders encouraging them to vote in favor of a proposal on the Company’s 2018 proxy. This proposal requests the company to disclose workforce diversity metrics as well as a description of policies and programs focused on increasing gender and racial diversity in the workplace. The letter provides the following rationale for voting ‘Yes’: 1. Travelers does not disclose any quantitative workforce diversity data 2. Evidence finds that greater workforce diversity may lead to better business outcomes 3. Providing detailed workforce information may …

April 23, 2018 // Boston, MA – Trillium Asset Management published a letter to Facebook’s shareholders encouraging them to vote in favor of a shareholder proposal on the Company’s 2018 proxy. This proposal requests Facebook’s Board issue a report on the merits of establishing a Risk Oversight Board Committee. We believe this proposal represents an important corporate governance reform that would enhance big picture risk oversight mechanisms while helping protect shareholder value. The letter provides the following rationale for voting ‘Yes’: The sheer volume, magnitude, and frequency of Facebook’s controversies strongly suggests that the company’s whack-a-mole approach is insufficient – …

Boston, MA // February 23, 2018 – Trillium Asset Management has published a letter to shareholders of Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) urging them to vote in favor of a shareholder proposal on the company’s 2018 proxy card. The proposal asks Starbucks to disclose workforce diversity metrics as well as a description of policies and programs focused on increasing gender and racial diversity in the workplace. The letter provides the following rationale for voting “Yes”: Starbucks’ current diversity disclosures are insufficient Evidence finds that greater workforce diversity may lead to better business outcomes Providing detailed workforce diversity information may contribute positively to …

January 11, 2018 // Boston, MA –  Trillium Asset Management commends MasterCard, Inc. for setting an absolute reduction target for scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and for further committing to pursue a science-based reduction target in the next two years. Once this science-based target is established it means MasterCard will be playing its part to limit global temperature rise to the internationally agreed upon 2°C limit. Trillium believes this target will propel the company to meaningful emissions reductions that are necessary for the planet, while also generating bottom line benefits. One study from the World Wildlife Fund, …

Read recent coverage about the record vote on Reveal News. December 20, 2017 // Boston, MA – Trillium Asset Management is pleased to announce that its gender and racial diversity shareholder proposal filed at network and enterprise security company, Palo Alto Networks (NYSE: PANW), received a 50.9% majority vote at the company annual meeting on December 8th. The shareholder proposal asked Palo Alto Networks to disclose EEO-1 data and policies/programs focused on increasing diversity in the workplace. This is the first majority vote in the 2017-2018 proxy season and is the highest vote ever received for this type of proposal. During a …

October 30, 2017 //Boston, MA – Trillium Asset Management is pleased to announce that we have successfully withdrawn our workplace equality shareholder proposal at Acuity Brands (NYSE: AYI) following the company’s changes to its Code of Ethics and Business Conduct to explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. Trillium believes that companies and workers benefit from consistent, corporate-wide, efforts to prevent discrimination, ensuring a respectful and supportive atmosphere for all employees. Research from the Williams Institute has also shown that LGBT-supportive policies lead to positive business outcomes, lower staff turnover, and increased job …