Restoring New Mexico’s Natural Gas Fields
Will Lana If you find yourself traveling in the Four Corners region of Northwestern New Mexico you’ll see many fine sights – broad mesas with pinon pines, red rocked desert towers, Anasazi ruins and historic frontier towns. Look closely and you may catch a glimpse of local wildlife such as Gambel’s quail, mule deer or elk. In addition you’ll see oil and gas activity – over 20,000 wells are producing in the region’s San Juan Basin. Since discovery in the 1920s, the San Juan Basin has pumped out 36 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Today it’s the nation’s second …
Strong Support from Chevron Shareholders for Proposal Co-Filed by Trillium
STRONG SUPPORT FROM CHEVRON SHAREHOLDERS FOR PROPOSAL TO STRENGTHEN DIRECTORS’ ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTISE May 26, 2010, Houston – The proponents of a stockholder proposal at Chevron Corporation seeking greater board environmental expertise hailed the 27% in support it received, according to preliminary results released by the company. “As a businessman and investor, I know how important it is to have the right leadership in a firm,” said Rob McCord, Pennsylvania’s independently-elected State Treasurer. “The recent and tragic Gulf disaster should remind all executives and investors that trust matters — and so do contingency plans. This awareness should prompt Chevron to improve …
Tar Sands Shareholder Proposals Pick Up Steam in 2010
In a show of how seriously investors, environmentalists and advocates are looking at the environmental costs and financial uncertainties associated with tar sands, support has grown dramatically for shareholder resolutions filed at major oil companies. This movement parallels increased activity on the part of more than 50 nongovernmental organizations working to slow down the expansion of tar sands projects. Extracting oil from tar sands, also known as oil sands, is an energy-intensive and damaging process, whereby oil that is mixed with sand, clay, other mineral sediments and water is separated often using hot or warm water. The oil is either …
PPG – Community Accountability Report (2010)
RESOLVED Shareholders request the Board of Directors to report to shareholders, within six months, on how the corporation ensures that it responsibly discloses its environmental impacts in all of the communities where it operates. The report should be prepared at reasonable cost; omit proprietary information; and go above and beyond existing legal obligations and legal compliance systems. The report should contain the following: 1. how the corporation makes available reports regarding its emissions and environmental impacts on land, water, and soil—both within its permits and emergency emissions—to members of the communities where it operates; 2. how the corporation integrates community …
Google – Sustainability Reporting (2010)
WHEREAS Investors increasingly seek disclosure of companies’ social and environmental practices in the belief that they impact shareholder value. Many investors believe companies that are good employers, environmental stewards, and corporate citizens are more likely to be accepted in their communities and to prosper in the long-term. Sustainability refers to development that meets present needs without impairing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It includes “encouraging long lasting social well being in communities where [companies] operate, interacting with different stakeholders (e.g. clients, suppliers, employees, government, local communities, and non-governmental organizations) and responding to their specific and …
Costco – Sustainability Reporting (2010)
WHEREAS Investors increasingly seek disclosure of companies’ social and environmental practices in the belief that they impact shareholder value. Many investors believe companies that are good employers, environmental stewards, and corporate citizens are more likely to generate stronger financial returns, better respond to emerging issues, and enjoy long-term business success. Globally over 2,700 companies issued reports on sustainability issues in 2007 (www.corporateregister.com). A recent survey found that 80% of the Global Fortune 250 companies now release corporate responsibility data, which is up from 64% in 2005 (KPMG International Survey of Corporate Responsibility Reporting 2008). Mainstream financial companies are also increasingly …
Chevron – Environmental Oversight (2010)
WHEREAS Environmental expertise is critical to the success of companies in the energy industry because of the significant environmental issues associated with their operations. Shareholders, lenders, host country governments and regulators, and affected communities are focused on these impacts. A company’s inability to demonstrate that its environmental policies and practices are in line with internationally accepted standards can lead to difficulties in raising new capital and obtaining the necessary licences from regulators. Chevron has repeatedly been cited for allegedly harmful environmental practices: Chevron is on trial in Ecuador for widespread contamination of Amazonian land and water resources by Texaco in …
Coca-Cola Company – Toxic Chemicals in Products: Bisphenol A (BPA) (2010)
WHEREAS Coca-Cola is the world’s largest beverage company, annually selling almost 570 billion servings of beverages. A significant part of Coca-Cola’s business includes selling beverages in aluminum cans. Our company has developed a valuable premium brand based on the trust of consumers and our company’s market leadership. Coca-Cola’s Product Safety Policy states that Coke uses “the highest standards and processes for ensuring consistent product safety and quality.” Yet, Coca-Cola’s canned beverages use linings containing Bisphenol A (BPA), a potentially hazardous chemical. BPA has received media attention for its use in polycarbonate plastic bottles, which Coca-Cola does not use. However, BPA …
ConocoPhilips – Environmental Impacts of Oil Sands (2010)
WHEREAS ConocoPhillips has extensive interests in oil sands operations in the Canadian boreal forest region. Our company is the operating partner of the Surmont oil sands venture and is a partner in the FCCL Oil Sands Partnership, in addition to having interests in other properties. Oil sands extraction presents a unique set of challenges due to its resource intensive and environmentally damaging nature. Oil sands mining requires heavy water use, land disturbance, toxic waste storage, and emission of air pollutants. These environmental impacts, along with their implications for local populations and wildlife, can introduce legal, regulatory and reputational problems to …
ExxonMobil – Environmental Impacts of Oil Sands (2010)
WHEREAS ExxonMobil has significant investments in the Canadian oil sands. ExxonMobil owns 69.6% of Imperial Oil, one of Canada’s largest oil companies. Imperial is 100% owner of the Cold Lake oil sands project and also owns 25% of Syncrude. ExxonMobil and Imperial jointly own and operate 100% of the Kearl oil sands project. According to ExxonMobil’s FY2008 10-K, 1.1 billion barrels (over 50%) of our company’s additional proven reserves come from Kearl, demonstrating our company’s dependence on Canada’s oil sands for long term growth. There are significant environmental, social and economic challenges associated with the oil sands. The resource-intensive and …
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