Boston, April 30th, 2026 – 15.3% of votes cast on Tuesday supported a Green Century Capital Management (Green Century) shareholder proposal urging the Fortune 200 automotive retailer AutoNation to report its climate footprint and goals to shrink it.
“You can’t manage what you don’t measure,” said Leslie Samuelrich, president of Green Century. “AutoNation is making its investors drive in the dark with the lights off since it is not providing the emissions data to show whether the company is effectively addressing its climate risks.”
The increasing frequency of billion-dollar disasters demonstrates how a warming world threatens companies’ profits. Hazards including wildfires, floods and cyclones disrupt economic activity and are projected to cost S&P Global 1200 companies up to $885 billion annually in physical damages alone by the 2030s.
Climate change poses real risks for auto sellers
Severe weather has plagued automotive retailers in especially climate-vulnerable states for decades already. Florida, Texas, and Louisiana bore nearly half of major U.S. disaster costs from 1980 to 2023. Then, 2024’s Hurricane Helene caused up to $250 billion in losses, when factoring in long-term disruptions including power outages and business interruptions. Associated increases in auto insurance rates in Florida and across the United States further show how the costs of climate are being passed onto vehicle owners.
As Americans express disdain for and concern about air pollution, many companies are trying to mitigate their related risks by working to reduce their emissions. As of year-end 2024, 79% of listed companies disclosed the greenhouse gas emissions from their energy use and operational footprints. Increased disclosure is partly driven by shareholders calling for more information on climate risk; one survey showed that 88% of investors analyzed portfolio emissions in 2024. AutoNation’s competitors, including CarMax, Group 1, and Penske Automotive Group, are reporting their operational emissions and initiatives to decrease them.
AutoNation fails to make climate action a selling point for investors
By reporting emissions data, companies can publicize both reductions and resulting benefits. Among the 82% of companies reporting financial gains from decarbonization in a 2025 Boston Consulting Group Survey, those measuring emissions and risk were 1.4 times more likely to achieve significant revenue growth. However, AutoNation’s most recent responsibility report fails to address climate change at all, let alone emissions. In contrast, AutoNation’s peer, Lithia Motors, reported nearly all its emissions inventory and savings of $300,000 from energy-reduction projects in 2024.
“Cutting emissions provides companies with several benefits, from reducing climate-based and reputational risks to driving down energy use,” said Green Century Shareholder Advocate Giovanna Eichner. “Emissions disclosures signal to investors that AutoNation is taking steps to both lower present costs and mitigate future financial impacts of climate change.”
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