Invest your values | How to harness your shareholder power for lasting change

This week, we sat down with Andrew Behar, CEO of As You Sow, to discuss the organization's work in shareholder advocacy and investing in alignment with values; two powerful concepts that can drive positive change and benefits for both shareholders and stakeholders. 

You’ll find the finer details in the show, but in general, As You Sow engages with companies (some of the biggest and most influential) to reduce material risk and improve their operations - thus improving their potential for revenue and yes, profits, but not at the expense of people or the planet. They file shareholder resolutions to initiate change and have had success in areas such as reducing ocean plastics, tackling climate change, and promoting diversity. And this isn’t just about institutional shareholders, we’re talking about small and individual owners of a public company as well.

It’s a fascinating take on tackling sustainability from the outside in.

Here are some of the key takeaways from our chat:

• Shareholders have power in holding companies accountable and driving positive change
• While it seems daunting and sometimes confusing, individuals can invest and vote their proxies in alignment with their values
• Shareholder resolutions have power and companies often respond positively to shareholder concerns
• You have more power than you might know when it comes to making sure your money and your earnings are invested in line with your values
• Finding win-win opportunities is the best way to create the change you want to see (good for business, good for people and planet)

Links for things we discussed:

• As You Sow
• The Clean200® - Research companies that are effectively balancing people, planet, and profit.
• Workplace Diversity & Financial Performance Study
• As You Sow work on Ocean Plastics
• Business Roundtable, Purpose of a Coporation - An Economy That Serves All Americans
• Invest Your Values online tool - See what's hidden inside your 401(k) or personal investments
• Google Employees Missed Out on $1 Billion Due to 401(k) Plan’s Investments in Fossil Fuels
• Fossil Free Funds - Don't want your retirement savings invested in fossil fuels?

About Andrew:

Andrew Behar is CEO of As You Sow, the nation’s leading non-profit practitioner of shareholder advocacy and engagement. With a 30-year track record of success, As You Sow advances values-aligned investing and uses shareholder power to compel companies to reduce material risk on issues including climate change; toxins in the food system; ocean plastics; diversity, equity, and inclusion; racial justice; and wage equity. Previously Andrew was a documentary filmmaker and entrepreneur founding start-ups that developed innovative physiological monitoring devices and grid-scale fuel cells. He is an inventor on five patents and was recently named as one of the Purposeful-50 “true changemakers who deliver on social justice, environmental protection, diversity, inclusion, racial equality, and gender and pay equity.” He is currently on the board of the Responsible Sourcing Network. His book, The Shareholders Action Guide: Unleash Your Hidden Powers to Hold Corporations Accountable, was published by Berrett-Koehler.

Produced by our team of experts at thinkPARALLAX.

Intro/Outro music by QubeSounds from Pixabay.