2000 Company Dialogue
11.17.00
Portfolio 21 Investments signs on in support of the International Right to Know proposal
Portfolio 21 Investments joins Friends of the Earth, Global Exchange and a coalition of environmental, labor, social justice and human rights organizations in supporting important new legislation developed by this group to hold U.S. multinational corporations accountable for their actions. Specifically, this proposal would extend key domestic right-to-know laws in the environmental, labor, and human rights areas to the overseas operations of US-owned companies.
10.25.00
Comments on the SEC's Concept Release on International Accounting Standards
This letter to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission expressed our concern about the Commission's announcement that it will work to harmonize international accounting and disclosure standards. While we understand the SEC's desire to standardize filing requirements, we are concerned that investor protection and transparency may be sacrificed in the effort to make cross-listing more convenient for foreign companies. In this letter we asked the SEC to broaden and deepen disclosure requirements for non-financial data rather than harmonize requirements with weak international norms.
10.25.00
UBS and involvement in the Ilisu dam project
In this letter we asked UBS to reconsider their involvement in the Ilisu dam project.
10.24.00
Clean Computer Campaign in conjunction with the Silicon Valley Toxic Coalition
In conjunction with the Silicon Valley Toxic Coalition's "Clean Computer Campaign", Portfolio 21's investment advisor wrote to IBM, Hewlett Packard, Agilent and Mitsubishi Electronics encouraging these organizations to design and establish take back and recycling services and increase the proportion of products that are developed using design for environment principles. Additionally, we asked these companies to support the principles outlined by the Electronics Recycling Initiative Taskforce and the EU Directive on Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).
10.23.00
Sony's involvement in the electronic and electrical products industry's "counter-strategy" to efforts to increase producer responsibility
In September 2000 an internal document was leaked from Sony regarding the company's leadership role in developing a "counter-strategy" in response to the efforts of environmental groups to increase producer responsibility. Shortly after the release of this information, Sony announced a five-year electronics recycling program in Minnesota allowing customers to recycle used products at no cost. In response to these occurrences Portfolio 21's investment advisor wrote to Sony encouraging the company to abandon its "counter-strategy" and embrace the EU Directive on Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment and other similar proposals. We also suggested several improvements that could be made to the recently announced recycling program.
10.20.00
Genetically Modified Organisms
Portfolio 21 supports Whole Foods and Wild Oats in their respective announcements committing to removing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) from their private label products. Portfolio 21 is encouraging these companies to take the next step and report on the difficulties encountered during this process and the progress toward meeting this goal.
10.18.00
Portfolio 21 Investments signs on in support of removing the Four Lower Snake River Dams
Portfolio 21 Investments joins Taxpayers for Common Sense and more than 1,800 other organizations in supporting the removal of the four Lower Snake River dams. These dams are driving valuable salmon toward extinction while attempts to mitigate their impact have been unsuccessful. Issues of concern also include the rights of Native Americans, who were guaranteed fishing privileges in treaties signed by the United States at the end of the 19th century.
4.20.00
USDA Review of Genetically Engineered Food Products
This letter to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) expressed Portfolio 21's support for a petition submitted to the USDA by a coalition of Organic Consumers Association and the Center for Food Safety as well as fifty other groups on March 21, 2000. In this letter Portfolio 21's investment advisor referenced a long list of risks and concerns associated with genetically engineered food (including human health and environmental risks). We encouraged the FDA to use the petition as a basis for establishing the legal requirements and scientific reasoning for a new regulatory system for the review of GE foods.
3.30.00
USDA National Organic Standards Proposal
The third revision for the EU Directive on Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment was released in July 1999. This document includes strong proposals with respect to the responsibility of producers and the phase out of toxic substances. Portfolio 21's investment advisor wrote to six European Commissioners in support of this directive and expressed our concern over industry attempts to delay and weaken the level of environmental protection provided by the directive.
3.20.00
European Union Directive on Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment
The third revision for the EU Directive on Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment was released in July 1999. This document includes strong proposals with respect to the responsibility of producers and the phase out of toxic substances. Portfolio 21's investment advisor wrote to six European Commissioners in support of this directive and expressed our concern over industry attempts to delay and weaken the level of environmental protection provided by the directive.