We’re excited to share that our award-winning Green Century team achieved 11 new environmental policy victories during the 2024-2025 shareholder season to protect forests, reduce climate change pollution, cut single-use plastics and more. We also saw 18 policies implemented that companies had previously committed to adopting this year – thanks to our advocacy.
Here are our Top Ten Victories from the 2025 Shareholder Advocacy Season.
10. Preserving Forests: J.M. Smucker, parent company of Folgers and Dunkin’ at Home coffee products, agreed to review its forest protection policies with an ambition of eventually sourcing all of its ingredients without causing any deforestation. The move came in response to a shareholder proposal from Green Century, which requested that the company ensure its supplies of coffee, palm, soy and cocoa, as well as wood pulp used for its packaging, are deforestation free. The company plans to follow the assessment with a transition to deforestation-free supplies in 2026.
9. Safeguarding Animal Welfare: Green Century filed a shareholder proposal asking Darden Restaurants to eliminate the use of gestation crates for pigs. Gestation crates are considered inhumane and enable factory farming systems that increase pollution. The resolution received a significant 20% vote in support from investors and, if adopted, would put Darden on par with companies such as Bloomin’ Brands, Costco and Target that are phasing out gestation crates in their supply chains.
8. Protecting Biodiversity: Green Century filed a shareholder resolution at Conagra urging the packaged food company to strengthen protections for wild lands as it sources ingredients such as beef and soy. In exchange for withdrawal of our shareholder proposal, Conagra committed to assessing more protections for biodiverse ecosystems such as grasslands and savannahs affected by its global supply chain.
7. Disclosing Climate Impact: In response to a Green Century shareholder proposal and subsequent agreement, Lowe’s Home Improvement released climate emissions data from the products it sells. These new disclosures represent 84% of Lowe’s contribution to climate change and will show investors the categories that represent the biggest polluters, allowing stakeholders to press the company more effectively on how it plans to mitigate its climate impact.
6. Stopping Plastic Pollution: Green Century reached an agreement with Starbucks to ensure the coffee behemoth provides accurate information about the recyclability of its plastic cups and shares details about its transition to reusable cups by early 2026. Sealed Air, the packaging company that sells BUBBLE WRAP® and air pillows, and packaging company Amcor also agreed to improve the sustainability of their packaging to ensure their recycling labels do not mislead consumers. All three commitments came after Green Century agreed to withdraw related shareholder proposals.
5. Protecting Farm Animal Welfare: Jack in the Box hit its benchmark to source 25% of its pork from pigs raised in “open pens” instead of gestation crates by the end of 2024. This interim target, up from 0% at the end of 2023, is an important step toward the company’s goal to source 100% of its pork that way by 2026 as outlined in an agreement with Green Century in 2023. Gestation crates are controversial because they harm animals and can also damage a company’s reputation.
4. Reducing Single-use Plastic: Coca-Cola, the largest soft drink company in the world, committed to disclosing its investments and successes in reusable bottle initiatives in response to a Green Century shareholder proposal. The company also agreed to continue to disclose quantitatively the share of beverages it sells in reusable containers. These commitments will help investors track the company’s efforts to mitigate plastic-related risks and push for progress.
3. Protecting the Climate: Green Century filed 12 climate-related shareholder proposals this year at major companies ranging from Amazon to McDonald’s, pressing the companies to disclose their full contribution to climate change, targets to reduce it, and plans to achieve those targets. We filed one of those resolutions at TD Bank which led to the company pledging to evaluate its plans to reduce its carbon footprint as part of a broader governance review and clarify the climate expertise on its board.
2. Preserving Tropical Forests: Costco, the third largest retailer in the world, will publish a comprehensive assessment and action plan to reduce deforestation in its Kirkland Signature brand products, protecting threatened species such as the jaguar and giant otter. Costco committed to publish the plan by 2025 after dialogue and withdrawal of a related shareholder proposal by Green Century.
1. Conserving Nature: The Okefenokee is the largest blackwater swamp in North America and one of the largest intact freshwater ecosystems in the world. Since 2021, Green Century has pressed chemical company Chemours to avoid mining near the Okefenokee. Our advocacy amplified public backlash that helped push mining company Twin Pines Minerals, which had previously contracted with Chemours, to sell its Okefenokee-adjacent land to a conservation group instead. Green Century’s related 2025 biodiversity resolution at Chemours won enough support to refile in future years and help keep mining away from the Okefenokee.