Fugitive Methane Emissions Report – Spectra Energy (2013)
WHEREAS: Natural gas development has been publicized for its superior environmental profile; fugitive methane emissions in the oil and gas sector represent one of the most rapidly growing sources of anthropogenic methane emissions in the US, contributing 20 percent of short-term global warming impact. The promise of natural gas as a bridge fuel to a more sustainable energy future is under question given the high short-term climate impact. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that methane has 25x the impact on temperature as CO2 over a 100 year period and 72x the impact over a 20 year period. Methane is …
Producer Responsibility for Packaging – Proctor & Gamble (2012)
WHEREAS product packaging is a significant consumer of natural resources and energy, and a major source of waste and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. More than half of U.S. product packaging –37 million tons – is discarded in landfills or burned rather than recycled. Packaging debris migrates to oceans where it damages fisheries, tourism and marine life. Paper and packaging comprise 43% of U.S. landfill waste. Nestle Waters North America says plastic bottles are the largest contributor to its carbon foot print; Coca-Cola Co. reports packaging is the largest part of the carbon footprint of several products. A recent analysis of …
Smuckers – Coffee, Climate Change and Sustainable Sourcing (2012)
Whereas: Our company is one of the four largest coffee companies in the world. It provides industry leadership through brands such as Folgers not only in consumer expectations but also with regard to pricing. The coffee business is critically important for our company by providing approximately 40% of our company’s revenue. It is equally important to the well-being of 25 million coffee farming families worldwide. Climate change may present a number of important risks and opportunities for our company and these communities, as it impacts temperature, rainfall patterns, frequency of severe weather events, and disease vectors, among other effects, in …
Anadarko – Hydraulic Fracturing (2012)
Whereas: Hydraulic fracturing in natural gas drilling has become highly controversial. The resolution proponents are concerned about regulatory, legal, reputational and financial risks associated with the environmental, health, and social impacts of fracturing operations. Concern about water sources, toxic chemicals and wastewater has led to new regulations in several states and proposed federal legislation. Explosions, contamination incidents, and millions of dollars in fines demonstrate that things can and do go wrong. For example, in Pennsylvania, officials have cited energy companies for 2,500+ violations associated with fracturing practices and collected $25.7 million in fines since 2008. More than 250 health care professionals …
Report on Bisphenol A in Thermal Receipt Paper- Panera Bread Company (2012)
WHEREAS: The value of Panera Bread Company’s brand is based in part on customer trust. We believe that if the company’s cash register thermal receipt paper contain bisphenol A (BPA), a potentially hazardous chemical, that trust could be put at risk. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated “Some receipts made of thermal paper may now contain as much as 10 mg. of BPA, which could pose a risk for human exposure, as well as account for substantial environmental releases of BPA.” http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/projects/bpa/index.htm BPA reportedly mimics estrogen in the body; a number of animal studies link BPA, even …
Sustainable Palm Oil Policy – YUM! Brands, Inc. (2012)
Whereas: The environmental and social impacts of palm oil, an ingredient in our Company’s supply chain, make it highly controversial. Accordingly, we believe the Company’s failure to procure certified sustainable palm oil is a brand risk, to both our Company’s reputation and long-term to the security of supply. Approximately 85% of palm oil is grown in Indonesia and Malaysia, much of it on industrial plantations. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, palm oil plantations are a large source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) because they are often established on land converted from swamp forests (“The Root of the Problem: …
Canadian Oil Sands – ExxonMobil (2012)
WHEREAS: ExxonMobil has significant investments in the Canadian oil sands. ExxonMobil owns 69.6 percent of Imperial Oil, one of Canada’s largest oil companies. Imperial is 100 percent owner of the Cold Lake oil sands project and is the operator and 25 percent owner of Syncrude. ExxonMobil and Imperial jointly own and operate 100 percent of the Kearl oil sands project. According to ExxonMobil’s 2010 10-K, oil sands represent approximately 11 percent of proved reserves, demonstrating our company’s significant reliance on Canada’s oil sands for long term growth. There are significant environmental, social and economic risks associated with oil sands. The …
Procter & Gamble – Extended Producer Responsibility (2011)
WHEREAS Product packaging is a significant consumer of natural resources and energy, and a major source of waste and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. More than half of U.S. product packaging –37 million tons – is discarded in landfills or burned rather than recycled. Packaging comprises nearly one-third of all U.S. landfill waste. Nestle Waters North America says plastic bottles are the largest contributor to its carbon foot print; Coca-Cola Co. reports packaging is the largest part of the carbon footprint of several products. A recent analysis of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data estimates that the energy needed to produce and …
Smucker’s – Environmental and Social Risks of Coffee (2011)
WHEREAS Our company is one of the four largest coffee companies in the world. It provides industry leadership through its Folgers brand not only in consumer expectations, but also with regard to pricing. The coffee business is critically important for our company by providing approximately 40% of our company’s revenue. It is equally important to the well-being of 25 million coffee farm families worldwide. Climate change may present a number of important risks and opportunities for our company and these communities, as it impacts temperature, rainfall patterns, and disease vectors in the world’s coffee growing regions. According to the Intergovernmental …
Sysco – Climate Change Related Water Risk (2011)
RESOLVED Shareholders request that by April 2012, the Board of Directors provide a report to shareholders (at reasonable cost and excluding confidential and proprietary information) on how Sysco is assessing water risk to its agricultural supply chain and action it intends to take to mitigate the impact on long-term shareholder value. SUPPORTING STATEMENT Water management is an emerging strategic business issue. The Securities and Exchange Commission states in its 2010 “Guidance Regarding Disclosure Related to Climate Change”, that climate change and water may challenge companies “dependent on suppliers that are impacted by climate change, such as companies that purchase agricultural …
Recent Comments