Ceres Newsletter- Voicing Support for CA's Climate Bills

Ceres Newsletter - August 2015 Clean Trillion Corner It's Time to Invest in Clean Energy in Africa The math for Africa's clean energy future is adding up. Solar lamps are spreading like fireflies across Ghana. A first-of-its-kind solar farm in Rwanda is providing electricity for 15,000 rural homes. Utility-scale solar and wind projects are being built in Morocco and Kenya. But renewable energy installations are not happening at nearly the rate necessary to reach the Clean Trillion. Read more in the latest blog post from Peyton Fleming. Learn more about the Clean Trillion. Press & Media News Story: How to Conserve Water Without Bankrupting Water Utilities (Governing) Press Release: Statement from Ceres President Mindy Lubber re: EPA's Clean Power Plan Final Rule Blog: Why Corporate America is Supporting EPA's Clean Power Plan (Forbes) News Story: Food industry needs to step up on responsible groundwater use (San Francisco Chronicle) Press Release: Most Water Utilities Missing Opportunity to Stretch Water Supplies News Story: EPA Proposes Cutting Methane Emissions From Oil, Natural-Gas Drilling (The Wall Street Journal) Press Release: Investors Applaud EPA's Methane Emissions Rule News Story: Why Big Corporations Like Gap And eBay Are Mobilizing Against Climate Change (Huffington Post) Blog: Cutting Big Truck Pollution Cuts Costs (Ceres) Press Release: Leading Global Investors Urge Food and Beverage Companies to Better Manage Water Risks Press Release: Symantec, Levi Strauss & Co., Mars, Dignity Health, and Autodesk Join Dozens of Companies Supporting California's Sweeping Climate Change Bills Reports Water Connection Charges: A Tool for Encouraging Water-Efficient Growth This first-of-its-kind report found that 93% of the fee structures in the Southeastern states and 62% of the fee structures in the Western states used uniform water connection charges for single-family homes that took no account of key factors in influencing the design of a home's water footprint. Learn more. Download the report. Events Sustainable Brands- New Metrics '15 Leading businesses are creating and valuing entirely new forms of positive environmental AND social impact as well as quantifying previously ignored costs and risks. Define your success in the next economy with new methods for valuing previously unmeasured risks and new forms of positive impact. Boston, MA. Oct 6-8, 2015.Click here to learn more. 20% Discount Code: NWceresNM15 Building Blue into Mainstream Investment Practices: An Investor Deep Dive on Water Risk & Opportunity Integration We are pleased to invite you to a Ceres hosted event on Thursday, October 1st in downtown Boston at the Westin Copley Place on how global investors are integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) and water analysis in their portfolio management and engagement processes. Learn more and register. Job Opportunities Are you ready to change corporate, investor and business practices on climate change and other sustainability challenges? Ceres is seeking the best and the brightest candidates to fill these positions in our growing organization. View our job opportunities. Ceres e-News Editor: Megan Doherty Voicing Support for California's Climate Bills More than two-dozen companies, including Levi Strauss & Co., eBay Inc. and Gap Inc., delivered letters to legislative leaders in support for two climate change bills that would set new ambitious state goals for reducing climate-changing pollution, boosting renewable energy and decreasing petroleum use (SB 32 and SB 350). The companies supporting these bills realize the vital role they will play to "advance a clean energy economy and create jobs by increasing renewable energy".Along with the letters, Ceres organized in-person meetings between signatories and 15 California Assembly members. "Moving ahead with these bills will solidify California's stake as a global leader in addressing climate change," said Anna Walker, Senior Director for Global Policy and Advocacy for Levi Strauss & Co., which is headquartered in San Francisco. "SB 32 and SB 350 will not only help our state advance its climate change goals-which are critical to the long-term prosperity of California businesses, residents and the environment-they will also help our state continue to do one of the things it does best - innovate." Read more here. Support Ceres Staff as they take on the Climate Ride! Rebecca Bar, Coordinator, Investor Program and Dan Bakal, Director, Electric Power Program, have been training for the 2015 Climate Ride. On September 17th, they'll set out on a 320-mile bike ride from Bar Harbor, Maine to Boston to fight climate change and support Ceres. Help support Rebecca and Dan by donating or giving words of advice and encouragement as they head out on their ride! We wish Rebecca and Dan the best of luck and a big thank you for all of their hard work! Network Highlights Corporate Program In late July, five Ceres member companies stood with President Obama and eight other companies as the first signers of the American Business Act on Climate Pledge. By signing the pledge Apple, Bank of America, Coca-Cola, General Motors, and PepsiCo demonstrated their leadership and ongoing commitment to climate action and clearly expressed their support for a strong outcome to the upcoming international climate negotiations in Paris. Collectively the companies are increasing their renewable energy generation, investing in clean energy solutions, reducing their GHG emissions across the value chain, and pursing zero deforestation in supply chains. Learn more about the Ceres Company Network Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP) Businesses Show Support for EPA Clean Power Plan In an unprecedented show of business support, 366 companies and investors sent a letter to more than two-dozen governors across the U.S. voicing support for implementation of the EPA's finalized Clean Power Plan, which sets the first-ever limits on carbon pollution from power plants. The signatories encouraged states to finalize their implementation plans to comply with the rules in a timely fashion and offered business community support as states pursue cost-effective clean energy solutions. Learn more about BICEP Ceres is an advocate for sustainability leadership that mobilizes a powerful network of investors, companies and public interest groups to build a sustainable global economy. Ceres is a non-profit organization. All gifts are tax deductible. Ceres has received high ratings from charity watchdog groups, a reflection of our effectiveness, integrity and impact. Ceres 99 Chauncy Street, 6th Floor Boston, MA 02111 www.ceres.org © Ceres. All rights reserved. Follow us on:

The TRUTH will set you FREE.

That kind of thinking simply doesn't square with reality.

Click to view the full sized image Dear Friend, Rex Tillerson is at it again. Despite just leading Exxon Mobil through three years of declining revenues, he quipped that when it comes to investing in renewable energy "We choose not to lose money on purpose." Most troubling was the applause from the crowd, which - even with earnings down 46% - is a clear sign of the echo chamber that has led U.S. oil companies like Exxon, Chevron and ConocoPhillips to double down on dirty fuels. At Chevron's annual general meeting for instance, CEO John Watson claimed that the "path to prosperity has run through fossil fuels for the last 150 years and it will continue to run through fossil fuels for at least 100 more." That kind of thinking simply doesn't square with reality. In the last year, the financial landscape for fossil fuel companies has begun to change. With more global emphasis on investing in renewable energy, capturing energy efficiency opportunities and reducing carbon emissions, fossil fuel companies are meeting more and more skepticism when it comes to their high-cost carbon-intensive projects. Furthermore, pressure from Wall Street analysts, investors and governments is turning the tables on the fossil fuel industry, forcing them to acknowledge and address that their business as usual approach will not work in a world that is shifting towards a clean energy economy.  And yet these oil companies still refuse to  shift their business models from focusing on short-term profits to long-term sustainability. That's where investors come in. Ceres is, working closely with investors to pressure the major oil and gas companies to reduce their carbon asset risk. The bottom line? These companies must adapt in order to survive and thrive in the transition to a clean energy economy, and despite Exxon Mobil and Chevron's backwards positions, some oil and gas companies are starting to see the light and move forward. This is in no small part due to the work of investors around the world, many of whom are a part of Ceres' Carbon Asset Risk Initiative. As part of this effort, 75 global investors, representing more than $3 trillion in assets have called on some of the biggest players in the oil and gas industry to 'fess up' to risks - and modify their business plans to deal with carbon pollution and climate change. Here are some of the ways investors will continue to drive change in the months ahead: More than 60 investors have called on the SEC to put companies on notice for failing to meet climate disclosure requirements.   Putting climate change front and center at annual general meetings. Proxy access proposals succeeded in overwhelming numbers at more than 20 fossil fuel companies this past proxy season.   Pressing for commitments from companies in advance of climate negotiations at COP21 in Paris. Ceres is ready to support investors as they urge the fossil fuel industry to let go of the past and embrace the clean energy future. We know we need to invest an additional trillion dollars per year (a'Clean Trillion') into clean energy if we want to tackle climate change and avoid the worst impacts of a warming world. Thanks for all you do to support our work, Shanna Cleveland Senior Manager Carbon Asset Risk (CAR) Initiative P.S. In case you missed it - read more from Ceres President Mindy Lubber on Forbes about fossil fuel's day of reckoning. Ceres is an advocate for sustainability leadership that mobilizes a powerful network of investors, companies and public interest groups to build a sustainable global economy. Ceres is a non-profit organization. All gifts are tax deductible. Ceres has received high ratings from charity watchdog groups, a reflection of our effectiveness, integrity and impact. Ceres 99 Chauncy Street, 6th Floor Boston, MA 02111 www.ceres.org © Ceres. All rights reserved. Follow us on:

The TRUTH will set you FREE.