Monster Beverage: Shareholder Advisory Votes on Climate Change
Whereas: The increasing rate and number of climate-related disasters affecting society is causing alarms to be raised within the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government, making the corporate sector’s contribution to climate mitigation a significant policy issue;
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission recently issued a report finding that climate change poses a significant risk to, and could impair the productive capacity of, the U.S. economy;
Shareholders are increasingly concerned about material climate risk to both their companies and their portfolios and seek clear and consistent disclosures from the companies in which they invest, including credible climate transition plans;
BlackRock notes that investment flows into “sustainable” and climate aligned assets will drive long term outperformance;
In response to material climate risk, the steering committee of the Climate Action 100+ initiative, a coalition of more than 500 investors with over $52 trillion in assets, issued a Net Zero Company Benchmark (Benchmark) outlining metrics that create climate accountability for companies and transparency and comparability for shareholders on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, GHG targets, improved climate governance, and climate related financial disclosures;
Climate-related decisions by a company have portfolio-wide and economy-wide implications. Disclosing reduction targets, detailing strategies for embedding climate change throughout a company’s business models and services, and providing progress therein to shareholders, is an important means of assuring shareholders that management is taking seriously the risks associated with climate change. Shareholders believe that planning and reporting by Monster Beverage Corporation on its climate transition plans and strategies will benefit the company and its investors, as well as global climate change objectives.
Monster currently has no reporting of its Scope 1, 2, or 3 greenhouse gas emissions, nor has it disclosed its climate transition planning, if any.
Resolved: By investors to Amend Article I of the Bylaws by adding the following section:
Section 16. Annual Proxy Vote and Report on Climate Change. The annual corporate proxy statement shall include a proposal requesting an advisory vote by shareholders expressing non-binding advisory approval or disapproval of the Company’s publicly available climate policies and strategies, in consideration of key climate benchmarks.
The Board of Directors is authorized to include in the Company’s annual proxy statement, or publish elsewhere, a report that characterizes the scale and pace of its responsive measures associated with climate change, including referring, at Board discretion, to the Company’s alignment with climate-related benchmarks.
Nothing in this section shall be construed as constraining the discretion of the board or management in disclosing or managing issues related to a climate change transition.
Resolution Details
Company: Monster Beverage
Lead Filers:
As You Sow
Year: 2021
Filing Date:
December 2020
Initiative(s): Say On Climate
Status: 7.0% Vote