Page 14 - Riverwater 2020 Sustainability Report
P. 14

 2020 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT OF OUR INVESTMENTS: ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS
ENGAGING ON HUMAN RIGHTS
The events of 2020 highlighted the importance of protecting people. In this light, Riverwater focused on several human rights-related engagement efforts.
SPOTLIGHT: CHEVRON
In an effort to formally encourage Chevron to put its human rights policy into operation and better serve local communities, Riverwater co-filed the Evaluation of Human Rights Practices shareholder resolution, led by The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. We were involved in dialogue with Chevron regarding their human rights policies in early 2020 and felt the company’s Human Rights policy was not yet in alignment with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; therefore, the resolution was filed for the 2020 proxy season. It received 17% of the shareholder vote.
Riverwater also co-filed the Environmental Justice and Racial Equity Analysis 2021 Proposal, led by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia and The American Baptist Home Mission Society with the intent to compel Chevron to understand and mitigate human rights consequences of its business, particularly as it relates to racial justice and equity. Dialogue continues.
ENGAGING ON HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION
Riverwater sent additional letters to companies that did not reply to our 2019 letters outlining risks of forced arbitration and non-disclosure in regard to harassment and discrimination allegations. These companies are Phillips 66, Pfizer, Quest Diagnostics and Corning. Corporate responses are below.
Responses:
• Phillips 66 – March 2020 dialogue confirmed these practices are not used in these situations.
• Corning – July 2020 dialogue confirmed these practices are not used in these situations.
• Quest Diagnostics – October 2020 dialogue with human resources, legal, employee relations personnel regarding Quest policies and why they should end the use of forced arbitration agreements. Clean Yield Asset Management joined this dialogue. We will follow up in 2021.
• Pfizer – January 2021 received correspondence stating belief that mandatory arbitration is the best practice in these situations. Will continue dialogue.
  14




















































































   12   13   14   15   16