Reuters : Shareholders End Push for Verizon Data-Sharing Details
Reuters recently published an article about Trillium’s successful withdrawal of our shareholder resolution with Verizon Communications. Ross Kerber writes: “Verizon Communications Inc shareholders said on Tuesday they have withdrawn a resolution asking the company to disclose details of customer information that it shares with law enforcement, saying the company had already met key requests. Jonas Kron, senior vice president of resolution sponsor Trillium Asset Management, said the filers withdrew the measure after the company disclosed more details this month of its information-sharing with government agencies. “Publication of these reports makes strong business sense and will facilitate the critical and long-term …
Investors Withdraw Verizon Shareholder Proposal on Government Surveillance Programs
JANUARY 28, 2014 // BOSTON, MA: A coalition of investors, which had requested that Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) publish regular reports on government and law enforcement requests for confidential customer data, today commended the company for publishing its first report and made recommendations for improving future reports. The coalition was led by Trillium Asset Management (Trillium), which filed a shareholder resolution on behalf of Park Foundation, in close partnership with Open MIC, a non-profit organization that works to foster more open and democratic media. The investors’ announcement follows yesterday’s news that the Obama Administration will permit more detailed disclosures …
Trillium Statement on Fifth Third Bank’s Announcement Regarding the Phasing Out of ‘Early Access’ Deposit Advance Service
January 28, 2014: Fifth Third Bank (NASDAQ: FITB) recently announced that it will no longer enroll customers in its ‘Early Access’ deposit advance service after January 31, 2014 and the bank will phase out the service to existing customers by year-end. This announcement comes following ongoing pressure from Trillium Asset Management (Trillium), along with other investors and the Center for Responsible Lending. In 2012 Trillium filed a shareholder proposal, with the bank asking it to address “the adequacy of the company’s direct deposit advance lending policies in addressing the social and financial impacts” of “extending high-cost direct deposit advances …
Associated Press: Getting Carbon Out of Portfolios is Tricky
The Associated Press recently published an article on fossil fuel-free investing, which ran in the Washington Post, Boston Globe and a dozen other media outlets. Jonathan Fahey writes: “[W]hile student groups around the country are calling for college endowments to stop investing in fossil fuel companies, and some religious groups have done already so, it’s much trickier for individual investors. Matt Patsky, chief executive of Trillium Asset Management, an investment adviser in Boston that has long helped endowments, religious organizations and wealthy families invest in socially-responsible ways, says that about a decade ago clients started asking the firm to create …
NY Times: Verizon Publishes First Transparency Report on Data Requests
The New York Times recently ran an article about Verizon Communications’ publication of a Privacy Transparency report. Brian X. Chen writes: “…In November, Trillium Asset Management, the activist investment firm, filed a shareholder resolution pressuring Verizon to publish a transparency report. In response to the report published on Wednesday, Jonas Kron, a senior vice president of Trillium, said he had yet to review the details of the report thoroughly, but was pleased with the progress. “Our goal in filing the shareholder proposal was to persuade companies to be issuing transparency reports. We’ve accomplished that goal,” he said. “We’ve now moved …
Trillium Statement on the U.S. EPA’s Assessment of Potential Mining Impacts on Salmon Ecosystems of Bristol Bay, Alaska
January 16, 2014 – The following statements may be attributed to Jonas Kron, Trillium Asset Management’s Director of Shareholder Advocacy: Yesterday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final assessment of Potential Mining Impacts on Salmon Ecosystems of Bristol Bay, Alaska which states that large scale mining such as the proposed Pebble Mine has “potential for significant effects on Alaska Native cultures” and “the significant loss of Chinook salmon populations” which “would have severe consequences…” Trillium commends the EPA for producing a rigorous, science-based assessment and believes now is the time for the EPA to initiate a Clean Water Act 404(c) …
Intel Announces Commitment to Conflict-Free Microprocessors
Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), has announced that it is now manufacturing and shipping its first-ever conflict-free electronics product, a microprocessor. Speaking at the 2014 Consumer Electronic Show, Intel’s CEO, Brian Kranich said, “We felt an obligation to implement changes in our supply chain to ensure that our business and our products were not inadvertently funding human atrocities.” Intel, which is the world’s largest manufacturer of microprocessors, also called on others in the electronics industry to join them in a mission to create conflict-free products. The extraction and transport of “conflict minerals” – tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold – has helped rebel …
Guest Column: Growing Interest in Farm Animal Welfare Reflected in Recent Shareholder Vote
By Caroline Abels, Humaneitarian.org It used to be that if you cared about compassionate animal treatment by corporations, the cosmetics and fur industries attracted most of your attention. But these days, America’s meat industry is receiving increased scrutiny from shareholders who are concerned about the humane treatment of farm animals raised for meat and dairy. Over the past decade, the public’s concern in this area has focused mainly on pork. Nearly five dozen major food retailers and restaurant chains have pledged to eliminate pork that has been raised in gestation crates which are used by large-scale industrial pig farms to …
Trillium Successfully Withdraws Greenhouse Gas Shareholder Proposal at Church & Dwight
January 14, 2014: Trillium Asset Management is pleased to announce that we have withdrawn a shareholder proposal at Church & Dwight Co, Inc. (NYSE: CHD) following commitments from the company that it will set quantitative goals for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in its products and operations. In addition, Church & Dwight will issue a report on how it plans to implement and achieve these goals by autumn of 2014 In 2013, Trillium filed a shareholder proposal at Church & Dwight on behalf of our clients, pressing the company to manage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in its products …
PRWatch: Xcel Energy and Endo Health Cut Ties to ALEC, Making 72 Corporations Out
The Center for Media and Democracy’s PRWatch reports that Xcel Energy and Endo Health Solutions are the latest companies to exit the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Rebekah Wilce writes: “A spokesperson for Xcel Energy — a $10.1 billion a year public company based in Minnesota — said that the company hasn’t been a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) since 2011 in response to a recent letter to the Boulder Weekly criticizing Xcel’s efforts to reduce homeowner solar “net metering” credits as a hindrance to transitioning to renewable energy sources. The spokesperson attempted to distance the company …
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