Dear John,
Recent news has been loaded with stories about the ongoing campaign to undo decades of corporate progress on sustainability. While the pressure is real, our direct engagements with corporations, and the data we collect, tell a different story of progress and action. Companies are listening to their shareholders and recognizing the business case for a livable future — market trends and technology continue to move toward clean energy, zero waste, and
justice for all.
This year alone, your support resulted in dozens of new commitments from some of the world’s largest companies. Your support directly empowers As You Sow to fight back against efforts to suppress information, stop companies from implementing sustainable practices, and prevent investors from considering risk in their portfolios. | | | | |
In America, market forces still eclipse political theater
The clean energy transition can’t be stopped. In 2024, 96% of new energy added to the U.S. grid was from clean energy sources; globally, more than 40% of the world’s electricity came from low-carbon sources. That’s the market — not politics — pricing the clean future in real time.
Amidst
the churn of hyper-partisan news cycles, it’s easy to miss the incredible change your support is making:
This year, we held 137 shareholder engagements spanning our range of issue areas, including Climate and Energy (greenhouse gas emissions, transition planning, reduction targets), Social Justice, Circular Economy (consumer packaging, single-use plastics), Biodiversity (deforestation, deep sea mining), and Environmental Health (pesticides/regenerative agriculture, PFAS).
And the results were dramatic… - Amazon replaced 95% (15 billion per year) of its plastic air pillows with recycled paper
- First Solar pledged not to purchase minerals mined from
the deep seabed
- Hormel formed a working group to get corporations to help pay for recycling facilities
- J. M. Smucker agreed to reduce pesticide use in its supply chains
- Keurig is reducing plastic waste by 20% by introducing reusable K Cups
- McDonald’s pledged to publish a reusable plastic assessment
- Mission Produce discontinued purchasing avocados from illegally deforested orchards
- Nike, Lululemon, and VF Corp committed to new actions to prevent microfiber shedding
| | | | |
Under threat: Unprecedented new laws and SEC restrictions
Shareholder democracy, a critical vehicle for addressing risk and long-term value, is under threat. We’re seeing new laws seeking to stifle investor action and speech, including a powerful push to suppress shareholders’
right to engage with corporations for sustainable leadership.
In Texas, a new law seeks to impose restrictive disclosure requirements on proxy advisory firms when their voting recommendations disagree with management positions, while another law raises the threshold for shareholder resolution submissions from the current shareholdings of $2,000 to $25,000 (depending on length of ownership) to $1 million or 3% of the company.
Yet the data we gather for our reports, and our direct engagements with corporations, show us that the power of the market can overcome prevailing political forces. Will you make a gift today and ensure that shareholders continue to have a voice in the corporations they own? Donate now and your gift will be matched 100% by our board of directors, up to $100,000.
The vast amount of noise, rhetoric, and misinformation is trying to convince us that positive change is no longer possible. Thanks to you, we see that sustainable change will continue so long as shareholders continue to hold corporate America accountable for sustainable action. | |
| | As You Sow is the nation’s leading shareholder representative, with a 30+ year track record promoting environmental and social corporate responsibility and advancing values-aligned investing. Its issue areas include climate change, ocean plastics, toxins in the food system, biodiversity loss,
racial injustice, and lack of workplace diversity. See As You Sow’s shareholder resolution tracker. | | | As You Sow
11461 San Pablo Avenue, Suite 400
El Cerrito, CA
94530 | | | | DISCLAIMER: As You Sow is not an investment advisor, nor do we provide financial planning, legal or tax advice. The content of our programming, publications and presentations is provided for informational and educational purposes
only, and should not be considered as information sufficient upon which to base any decisions on investing, purchases, sales, trades, or any other investment transactions. We do not express an opinion on the future or expected value of any security or other interest and do not explicitly or implicitly recommend or suggest an investment strategy of any kind.
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