Resources

Disney and Costco’s COC commitments have the potential to make meaningful positive impacts on adult and children’s health and the environment… their efforts to engage suppliers on eliminating COCs and moving toward safer alternatives can lead to reductions of some of the most problematic COCs. In August [2022], Trillium and co-filers Mercy Investment Services and Newground Social Investment filed a shareholder proposal at Costco asking the company to report on the outcomes of… …

SOMERVILLE, Mass.: The Presbyterian Church (U.S.) and Trinity Health withdrew shareholder resolutions in response to Dollar General’s and Five Below’s commitments to expand and improve chemical safety programs. This comes at a time when retailers are under increasing regulatory pressure to remove toxic chemicals from consumer products. Since 2018, 38 states have adopted 257 policies to limit and in some cases ban chemicals in products ranging from baby bottles to personal care… …

White House office invites views on sustainable chemistry. Federal leadership could help provide market signals.

  The White House wants help defining “sustainable chemistry” in an effort that industries, investors, and others say could make the fuzzy concept more actionable and useful as European laws increasingly demand sustainable products. The White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) will officially publish on Monday a request for interested parties to offer views on their preferred definition for sustainable chemistry. Comments are due June 3. The lack of… …

Investors have filed resolutions with Five Below, Dollar General, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Kroger to expand and improve chemical safety programs. This comes at a time when regulatory risk and consumer concern are rising. Since 2000, more than 35 states have passed 173 policies that establish state chemicals programs to identify, limit, or ban the use of harmful chemicals in products, including tips for consumers. PFAS, “forever chemicals,” are a particular growing global concern… …

As solar energy experiences record growth, investors, customers, and regulators are increasingly asking for more disclosure and transparency on how solar supply chains are managed throughout product life cycles.

Renewable energy technologies fueled by wind and the sun are critical to addressing the climate crisis. However, many chemicals used in the production of solar and wind technologies are harmful to human health and the environment, scarce in supply, or sourced from countries that are unable to protect human rights. The notion of greening solar manufacturing isn’t new, but there is a renewed urgency surrounding it. This includes the reduction and management of chemicals of concern in PV… …

Chemicals have been important drivers of economic growth, but the cost of poor management and the long-term impacts of chemicals in use has been largely ignored. The costs associated with environmental chemical exposures worldwide likely exceeds 10% of global GDP or $11 trillion. 2 In the U.S., for example, poly and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), or forever chemicals, that scientists have linked to high cholesterol, thyroid diseases, and kidney and testicular cancers have cost cities and… …

Investors are increasingly scrutinizing companies for environmental, social and ethical considerations. In addition to closer scrutiny of companies’ carbon and water footprints, a third mark of consideration is emerging: their chemical footprint. In recent years, consumer demand for the responsible use of chemicals in products has grown exponentially. This is evidenced by consumer pressure for ingredient transparency, calls to remove hazardous chemicals from personal care products, and… …

Retailers need to move beyond regulatory compliance if they are to meet customer expectations for safer chemicals in products, respond to investor inquiries, and achieve favorable profiles in rankings by advocacy groups. But, "There are thousands of chemicals out there – where and how do we begin?”  The Retailer's Guide to Safter Chemicals & Materials answers this question – and more. Content Overview  Why Retailers Should Take Action on Chemicals of… …

On February 11th, Clean Production Action released the 5th Annual Chemical Footprint Project (CFP) Survey report and hosted a webinar featuring results from the Survey.  The webinar featured:  Cheri Peele, CFP Program Manager at Clean Production Action (CPA)—presenting the results from the 5th annual CFP Survey Holly Testa, Director, Shareowner Engagement at First Affirmative Financial Network (FAFN)—discussing why investors like FAFN want companies to participate in the… …