Climate Targets - The Latest Trend in Corporate Greenwashing

Each year, investors express more interest in company action to combat climate change. In response, companies make highly publicized statements that they are aligned with the Paris Accord or have a net zero commitment to persuade investors, the SEC, and customers that their corporate practices are in line with keeping global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

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Insuring Net-Zero Progress

Climate change is referred to by leading economists as the greatest market failure in human history, with potentially disruptive implications on the social well-being, economic development, and financial stability of current and future generations: conservative estimates see unabated climate change leading to global costs equivalent to losing in-between 5 to 20% of global gross domestic product (GDP) each year, now and forever.

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Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative: Transparency and Accountability on Climate

In July 2021, ClearBridge Investments announced it had joined the industry-leading Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative (NZAM), an international group of asset managers committed to supporting the goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions globally by 2050. We are proud to be part of a community of over 200 asset management peers, representing over $50 trillion, in this commitment.

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Plastic Pollution - Holding Big Oil Accountable for Plastic Mismanagement

Plastics currently impose a lifecycle social cost at least ten times higher than their market price. While ubiquitous plastic waste dominates public perception, threats to the climate and health are mounting. Despite rising understanding of the broad landscape of risks facing the current fossil-fueled plastic economy, the oil and gas industry is betting on a world that uses more and more virgin plastics.

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Plastic Pollution: Pushing for Absolute Reductions and Refillables

In 2021, As You Sow shifted its focus on plastic pollution from asking companies to make plastic packaging more recyclable to using less plastic, with terrific results. Our proposals to 10 major consumer goods companies led five companies, including Target and Walmart, to agree to cut virgin plastic use by more than 700,000 tons by 2025.

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Say on Climate Global Shareholder Coalition

The Say on Climate global shareholder initiative aims to move companies to develop net zero transition plans, adopt annual 5 percent GHG emissions reduction targets (aligned with Climate Action 100+ benchmarks), provide annual emissions disclosure, and give shareholders an annual vote. The annual advisory vote would be similar to votes on executive compensation, but it would be about implementation of a company’s climate transition plan.

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Scope 3 Climate Impacts Missing from Utility Net Zero Targets

Most utility companies are not including Scope 3 emissions from the corporate value chain in their net zero climate targets. Yet, emissions from customers’ use of natural gas for heat and other applications, purchased power emissions, and methane leakage from the production and distribution of natural gas can amount to as much as half of a utility’s total emissions.

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