New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, on behalf of the New York City pension funds (the “NYC Funds”), submitted a shareowner proposal to TransDigm Group on September 19, 2019, requesting that the company adopt a policy with time-bound, quantitative, company-wide goals for managing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, taking into account the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement, and report on its plans to achieve these targets.
Read moreGrowing Support For Climate Financial Disclosure And Scenario Analysis
The Financial Stability Board’s Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) has raised awareness of climate risks and opportunities to new levels. As a global, industry-led initiative formed by G20 nations, it has support from over 500 corporations and has led many other companies to consider its recommendations.
Read moreEnergy & Banking Companies Need Plan To Reduce Full Climate Footprint In Line With Paris Goals
Climate change poses growing risk to the individual companies in which shareholders invest and, significantly, to shareholders’ broader portfolios. As climate related harm accelerates, economy-wide losses are increasing and hurting portfolios. A 2018 analysis in Nature suggests that keeping global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees instead of 2 degrees can prevent over $30 trillion in economic damage.
Read moreFossil Fuel Industry Sees Plastic As Saving Grace, But Demand May Plummet
Plastics and other petrochemical goods are set to overtake the transport sector as the largest driver of global oil demand. Oil and chemical companies have invested a whopping $180 billion in new and projected plastics facilities, largely due to the fracking boom. But calls by governments and a variety of stakeholders to reduce single use plastics raise questions about whether projected demand for plastic products may slump, resulting in stranded petrochemical assets. Furthermore, extreme weather is creating new risks from flooding that exacerbate plastics pollution risks from petrochemical plants.
Read moreShareholders Play Key Role In Reducing Deforestation And Climate Risk
As investors analyze the climate resiliency of their portfolios, they should consider risks associated with the agricultural sector and especially the conversion of forests and peatlands to crop and pasture land. The burning and razing of forests is one of the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions. Deforestation contributes as many greenhouse gas emissions as the global transportation sector, with commodity-driven deforestation itself responsible for two-thirds of tropical forest loss.
Read moreSocial Cost And Material Loss: The Dakota Access Pipeline
For 25 years shareholders have been raising concerns over corporate infringement on Indigenous Peoples’ Rights. Indigenous Peoples have helped to raise international awareness about how pipelines such as the Dakota Access, Keystone, and Trans Mountain projects harm local communities. Companies often minimize the social cost of public protests, even as investors contend that grassroots opposition can impose significant financial and brand risks.
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