General Mills – Pesticide Use (2019)
WHEREAS: Cheerios’ oats-based cereal was recently implicated in a report of food products containing residual amounts of glyphosate, the highly controversial ingredient in RoundUp. Glyphosate is classified as a probable human carcinogen by the World Health Organization and a known carcinogen by the state of California. Research links glyphosate-based herbicides to kidney damage and endocrine disruption even at low levels. Environmental consequences from glyphosate range from reduced effectiveness of antibiotic treatments to increased mortality among critical pollinators. Pre-harvest use of glyphosate is increasingly common for grains. Cheerios’ website claims its products are “made with the best oats possible.” However, the …
Lamb Weston Holdings – Pesticide Use (2019)
WHEREAS: Lamb Weston is a global supplier of frozen potato, sweet potato and vegetable products. The company states in public filings that its reputation would be adversely impacted by “[its] environmental impact, including use of agricultural materials.” Conventionally-grown potatoes are among the most pesticide-intensive crops grown in the U.S. Potatoes consistently rank in the top ‘dirty dozen’ of fruits and vegetables with heavy pesticide loads, according to government data examined by the Environmental Working Group. Widespread concern about the human health impacts associated with pesticide exposure is increasing. Scientists and health providers, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, …
Tesla, Inc. – Sustainability Reporting (2019)
WHEREAS: Managing and reporting on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) topics, such as worker health and safety, resource usage, operational environmental impacts, and corporate governance policies helps companies compete in a business environment characterized by finite natural resources, changing legislation, and heightened public expectations for corporate accountability. Transparent, substantive reporting allows companies to gain strategic value from existing sustainability efforts and identify emerging risks and opportunities. Tesla has faced various criticisms for its health and safety performance in recent years, to which the Company has responded via sporadic blog posts. Proponents believe many of these damaging criticisms could have been …
Quanta Services – Sustainability Report (2019)
RESOLVED Shareholders request Quanta Services, Inc. (Quanta) issue a report describing the company’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policies, quantitative performance metrics, and improvement targets, including a discussion of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions management strategies and metrics. This report should be updated annually, be prepared at reasonable cost, and omit proprietary information. SUPPORTING STATEMENT Quanta should consider the resources and recommendations made by the widely accepted Global Reporting Initiative, CDP, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), and the Financial Stability Board’s Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) when identifying ESG topics to be included in this report. Proponents believe significant ESG …
Illinois Tool Works – Greenhouse Gas Emissions (2019)
Resolved: Shareholders request Illinois Tool Works, Inc. (ITW) adopt quantitative, company-wide targets for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, consistent with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, and report annually, at reasonable cost and omitting proprietary information, on its plans and progress towards achieving these targets. Supporting Statement: Proponents recommend ITW consider the methods outlined by the Science Based Targets Initiative (sciencebasedtargets.org) to ensure its emissions reductions targets are consistent with the ambitions of the Paris Climate Agreement. Whereas: Scientists expect that failure to mitigate climate change will lead to additional sea level rise, more extreme weather, mass migration, and …
Middleby Corporation – Sustainability Report (2019)
RESOLVED Shareholders request The Middleby Corporation (Middleby) issue a report describing the company’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policies, quantitative performance metrics, and improvement targets, including a discussion of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions management strategies and metrics. This report should be updated annually, be prepared at reasonable cost, and omit proprietary information. SUPPORTING STATEMENT Middleby should consider the resources and recommendations made by the widely utilized Global Reporting Initiative, CDP, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, and the Financial Stability Board’s Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) when identifying ESG topics to be included in this report. Proponents believe significant ESG issue …
EOG Resources – Methane Emission Reduction Targets (2019)
Resolved: Shareholders request EOG Resources, Inc. (EOG) adopt quantitative targets for reducing methane emissions, and issue a report (at reasonable cost, in a reasonable time, and omitting proprietary information) discussing its plans and progress towards achieving these targets. Supporting Statement: In 2014 a shareholder proposal focusing on methane emission targets at EOG received a 28% vote. An almost identical proposal earned a 31.5% vote in 2015. Whereas: The Paris Climate Agreement of 2015, agreed to by 195 countries, established a target to limit global temperature increases to 2-degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. To meet the 2-degree goal and mitigate the …
J. B. Hunt – Greenhouse Gas Emissions (2019)
Resolved: Shareholders request J.B. Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) adopt company-wide, quantitative targets to reduce total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, taking into account the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, and issue a report, prepared at reasonable cost and omitting proprietary information, discussing its plans and progress towards achieving these targets. Supporting Statement: Proponents recommend JBHT consider the methods outlined by the Science Based Targets Initiative (sciencebasedtargets.org) to ensure its emissions reductions targets are consistent with the ambitions of the Paris Climate Agreement. Whereas: The Paris Climate Agreement of 2015 that was agreed to by 195 countries established a target to …
Starbucks – Plastic recycling (2019)
WHEREAS an estimated 8 million tons of plastics are carried into oceans annually; by 2050 there could be more plastic than fish. Plastic beverage containers are among the most common items found in beach cleanups. One half of Starbucks drinks are now cold drinks, most served in plastic cups, with no reported recycled content. Plastics degrade in water to small particles that animals mistake for food; plastic pollution impacts 260 species, causing fatalities from ingestion, entanglement, suffocation, and drowning. UN Undersecretary-General Erik Solheim calls the issue “an ocean Armageddon.” As Starbucks and peers have fostered a wasteful “to go” disposable …
Acuity Brands – Corporate Sustainability Reporting (2019)
RESOLVED Shareholders request Acuity Brands, Inc. (Acuity) issue an annually updated sustainability report describing the company’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management strategies, quantitative performance, and improvement targets, including a discussion of climate change impacts and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This report should be prepared at reasonable cost and omit proprietary information. SUPPORTING STATEMENT Proponents believe tracking and reporting on ESG strategies and performance strengthens a company’s ability to compete and adapt in today’s global business environment characterized by changing legislation and heightened public expectations for corporate accountability. Acuity has not disclosed the strategies it uses to manage its ESG …
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