Dear Common Dreams Readers:
For Immediate Release
Meg Wilcox, Ceres 617-247-0700 X 148, or wilcox@ceres.org;
Peyton Fleming, Ceres, (617) 247-0700 x120 or fleming@ceres.org
Patrick Mitchell, (703) 276-3266 or pmitchell@hastingsgroup.com
News Reminder - 'Climate Watch List' of 9 Companies to Focus on Exxon, GM, Massey and Others
List Includes 9 Major Businesses in the Electric Power, Coal, Oil, Homebuilding, and Transportation Sectors that Trail their Peers on Climate Change
WASHINGTON - While many top corporations are moving aggressively to address the
financial risks and opportunities from climate change, other leading
businesses have made little or no progress in tackling this major
business challenge, potentially compromising their competitive
positioning as the US government and the global economy begin
responding to climate change.
On February 18, 2009, at 1:30 PM ET, leading U.S. investors will hold a
live, phone-based news event to highlight eight U.S. companies -
including Southern, Massey and Exxon -- and one Canadian company that
are lagging behind their peers in their climate response strategies and
have been targeted with shareholder resolutions from investors.
Speakers will also preview the record number of climate-related
shareholder resolutions filed with U.S. companies as part of the 2009
proxy season. The Climate Watch List and climate-related shareholder
activity is coordinated by Ceres and the Interfaith Center on Corporate
Responsibility (ICCR).
News event speakers will include:
* Ceres President Mindy S. Lubber;
* California State Teachers' Retirement System CEO Jack Ehnes;
* Assistant New York City Comptroller on Pension Policy Ken Sylvester; and
* ICCR Board Chair and Adrian Dominican Sisters Coordinator of Corporate Responsibility Margaret Weber.
TO PARTICIPATE: You can join this live, phone-based news conference
(with full, two-way Q&A) at 1:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday (February 18,
2009) by dialing (866) 281-6502. Ask for the "Ceres Climate Watch List"
news event call.
CAN'T PARTICIPATE?: A streaming audio replay of the news event will be available on the Web at http://www.ceres.org as of 6 p.m. ET on February 18, 2009.
Ceres (www.ceres.org) is a leading coalition of investors, environmental groups and other public interest organizations working with companies to address sustainability challenges such as global climate change. ICCR (http://www.iccr.org) is a coalition of nearly 300 faith-based institutional investors representing over $100 billion in invested capital that works to build a just and sustainable global community.