Shareholder Advocacy: Issue Areas
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Climate and Energy |
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Wilderness and Biodiversity |
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Toxics and Environmental Health |
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Corporate Accountability and Responsibility |
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Water |
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Food and Agriculture |
Climate and Energy
Because we believe global warming poses great threats both to the environment and to the long-term financial success of many businesses, Green Century is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote alternative energy, and increase energy efficiency. America's heavy dependence on fossil fuels has made it the world's largest contributor to global warming emissions. Green Century works to expose the financial and environmental risks associated with some of the most destructive fossil fuel production processes, such as the oil sands and coal extraction, and is encouraging retailers and big-box stores to implement better energy efficiency standards. We are also partnering with Ceres and its Investor Network on Climate Risk, a strategic, investor-led initiative, representing 100 investors with about $10 trillion in investment assets, to engage with companies and policy makers to find climate solutions.
2011 Issues
- Tar Sands - As access to traditional oil reserves in the U.S. and abroad declines, major U.S. oil and gas companies are looking to Alberta's oil sands for new energy developments. Dubbed "the most destructive project on Earth" by Canada's Environmental Defence, oil sands development is several times more carbon-intensive than conventional oil recovery projects. Green Century believes entering the oil sands is a risky and unwise business decision for major energy companies. We will continue to pressure companies to recognize the environmental and financial risks associated with the development of the tar sands.
- Coal Ash - While coal may be notorious for its massive carbon footprint, the burning of coal for electricity also produces coal ash, a dangerous and abundant by-product that contains arsenic, mercury, lead and other toxins. The disastrous Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) spill in December 2008 illustrated the highly hazardous nature of the waste storage ponds where millions of tons of coal ash are being stored. Green Century is working to encourage companies with coal waste storage dumps to transition to safer storage methods and take extensive precautions to ensure no leakage or airborne dissemination and no harm to surrounding communities.
- Extended Producer Responsibility - We are a throwaway society. The U.S. solid waste recycling rate hovers at a dismal 34 percent. Product packaging is the largest category of landfill waste and the biggest component of ocean litter that harms marine life. Green Century joined As You Sow in its effort to press major consumer packaged goods companies to take responsibility for recycling post-consumer packaging by adopting extended producer responsibility (EPR), a corporate and public policy that shifts accountability for collection and recycling from taxpayers and governments to producers.
