As You Sow

A good post from Trellis Group on how fossil fuel-funded politicians have distorted the conversation around #ESG. Time to ignore the political theater and get back to the fundamentals of informed investing. https://lnkd.in/e9nmJPpr

Fossil fuel emissions are the largest driver of global warming, yet many of us endorse the biggest corporate offenders with a piece of our paycheck, at least indirectly, when saving and investing for retirement. @tarasiegelbernard shows us how to change all that https://lnkd.in/gEtcZW3q

Google set a powerful example by replacing an underperforming fund in its 401(k) lineup with a fossil-free alternative. The change wasn’t about making a political statement or “going green” — it was a decision driven purely by fiduciary responsibility and sound financial analysis. As Alex Wright-Gladstein, CEO of Sphere, noted in the blog post below: “The Google benefits team has demonstrated that it knows you don’t have to trade off returns to offer climate-safe investments.” For too long, there’s been a myth that sustainable investing means compromising financial performance. False! Google’s approach proves you can uphold fiduciary duty, ensure competitive returns, and still contribute to a livable planet. It’s a win-win-win strategy that we expect more companies to adopt moving forward. #SustainableInvesting #FossilFreeFunds #401k #ESG

"Fossil fuel emissions are the largest driver of global warming, yet many of us endorse the biggest corporate offenders with a piece of our paycheck, at least indirectly, when saving and investing for retirement." The New York Times article on individual investors' guide to moving to more sustainable investments features As You Sow’s Fossil Free Funds platform that helps investors examine ETF or mutual fund's exposure to #fossilfuel companies. Additionally, it highlights Sphere's Climate 500 Fund, a retirement plan option that avoids investments in fossil fuels, deforestation, tobacco, civilian firearms, military weapons, and private prison companies. https://lnkd.in/gEtcZW3q Andrew Behar Alex Wright-Gladstein

Tomorrow at 9am CET, we're unveiling our pioneering global "Voting for Sustainability" ranking! After months of building up data pipelines, matching algorithms and analyzing the proxy voting behavior of over 140 leading asset managers and pension funds worldwide, we're ready to share fresh insights into how investors are driving corporate sustainability performance forward. We've employed innovative analytical methods to quantitatively benchmark investors against peers on 428 sustainability-relevant proposals at company meetings worldwide. These proposals were flagged by Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR) As You Sow Climate Action 100+ Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) Majority Action ShareAction The Shareholder Commons & with voting recommendations from Ethos Foundation (Switzerland) and PIRC Limited. We often hear "not all shareholder proposals are created equal:" more info about the consensus benchmark composition and topics areas scored is attached. Stay tuned for a new perspective in responsible investing set to spark meaningful conversations & sign up to our December 3rd webinar to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gCp9ZGUC

🗳️We need AI transparency - vote today🗳️   As federal sustainability policies in the U.S. face uncertain times to say the least, holding corporations #accountable has never been more urgent—for employees, communities, and shareholders alike.   Microsoft has deep ties to the #fossilfuel industry, supporting technologies that lead to vast increases in global emissions – orders of magnitude more than the emissions from the datacenters that power them – putting both the planet and the company’s long-term value at risk.   That’s why we’ve filed a shareholder resolution with As You Sow asking the company to disclose the operational, reputational, and financial risks associated with these activities.   #Transparency is a critical first step toward change. And while Microsoft will point to their #ResponsibleAI and #Energyprinciples, these policies fall short of addressing the core issues, rendering them both ineffective and misleading.   🌍 If you’re a Microsoft shareholder, you can take action. ✅ Voting is open now: Take 2 minutes to vote YES on our resolution by December 9th. Your voice makes a difference. https://lnkd.in/gYnmCs5s   Read more about the resolution and why it’s so important here: https://lnkd.in/gfSJ_6S5 #AI #ResponsibleAI #Sustainability #CSR #CorporateSocialResponsibility #ESG #AdvancedTechnology #artificialintelligence #IoT #BigTech #BigOil #OilandGas #energytransition #RenewableEnergy #regulation #righttowarn #transparency #climate #climatecatastrophe #science #microsoft #Azure #AzureAI #OpenAI #AI #generativeAI #upstream #energy #greenwashing #climate #GPT #GPT4 #chatGPT Will Alpine Greenpeace 350.orgAI Now Institute Amy Westervelt ClimateVoice Bill Weihl Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative Friends of the Earth Hugging Face Stand.earth Public Citizen Sunrise Movement WorkforClimate Green Web Foundation Melanie Nakagawa

Andrew Behar, CEO of U.S. shareholder advocacy group As You Sow, worries about the impact U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement could have on corporate governance. “Many companies have climate transition plans linked to Paris,” he says. “Pulling out gives them a reason to say they don’t want one of these plans.” via Reuters https://lnkd.in/e2mg7bZE

Since the results of the election private prison stocks have largely increased in anticipation of Trump's deportation camps. There is a good chance your retirement account is invested in some of those companies. If that makes you ill to think about profiting off such a policy the good folks at As You Sow have a free tool where you can see if you are invested in private prisons. https://lnkd.in/eAZiS9Vh

Carbon Collective wouldn't exist without the fund analysis tools from As You Sow. So imagine how jazzed we were to bring them on as 401k clients?! 🤩 If you are a foundation funder out there, THIS is the power of what can happen when you make powerful free resources. People use them. They build things that don't exist yet. And they advance an industry forward in ways that you couldn't really have predicted. This is why our business exists. Why our theory of change exists. It's because of the hard work that groups like As You Sow and Project Drawdown have put in to make robust, easy to use, understandable ways to get a grasp on really hard problems. If you have been wondering about what kinds of activities you're exposed to in your retirement savings, google "Invest Your Values." Look at your tickers. See what grades they get. It's this type of free transparency that builds trust in a space that has experienced so much greenwashing. Climate change, finance, and especially climate finance are all gray areas with many nuances. So instead of keeping your model hidden, your intellectual property secured, open it up, and change the world. We hope that in working together we can give back some of the impact you've given us. Thank you and keep up the good work As You Sow

The values behind Environmental, Social, and Governance (#ESG) data form a critical framework for assessing material risks, used by investors and businesses worldwide. As this data becomes increasingly accurate and sophisticated, financial analysts, companies, and regulators are working to close gaps, address inconsistencies, and standardize metrics for easier comparability. The need for high quality material risk data has never been higher. The information is out there, mostly generated by non-profit advocacy groups.  The demand for high-quality material risk data has never been greater. Much of this valuable information originates from non-profit advocacy groups, leading the charge for #transparency and #accountability. At As You Know, our mission is to simplify access to this high-quality, comprehensive material risk data—empowering organizations to make informed decisions and optimize human capital. Learn more in this article by Andrew Behar about how our model is driving impact, powered by data from leading non-profit partners like As You Sow and Adasina Social Capital / Adasina Data Hub. ➡ And reach out here to request a demo of As You Know today - https://lnkd.in/eye8kjqi #sustainability #ESGdata #AsYouKnow