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Environmentalism and Proxy Voting

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How You Can Make An Impact: 

Get involved. Sign up for the Civex email and access for the forthcoming app. As a shareholder you can ensure the companies you’re invested in hear your voice. We now see unions, state comptroller’s, retirement fund managers, foundations, and even religious organizations using the power of their shares to tell corporations what’s important to them.

What Is Environmentalism?

Environmentalism is the responsible use and protection of the natural environment through sustainable practices to enhance the natural environment and human ecosystem.

How Does Environmentalism Appear In Proxy Voting?

There are many environmental factors for a company to consider in their business practices. This can include its conservation of energy, water, and other natural resources, protection of ecosystems and biodiversity, reduction of emissions, recycling efforts, wetland policies, mitigation for climate change, and the promotion of sustainability and resilience. 

Recent Environmentalism Examples

  • Recently, Costco shareholders voted for the superstore to adopt the GHG Emissions Reduction Targets and to publicly disclose these targets to investors (1/22).
  • At Kroger there was a recent proposal asking for a Report on the Elimination of Hydrofluorocarbons,  which many view as potent greenhouse gases. (4/22).

Shareholder Impact On Environmentalism

  • On a recent ballot, 89% of Boeing shareholders supported the company in creating a Report on Net Zero Indicator. This will define key success indicators for business alignment with the goals of the international treaty on climate change, the Paris Agreement.