Boston, May 28, 2026 – A Green Century Capital Management (Green Century) shareholder resolution asking Verizon to reinstate its previous transparency about its progress toward its climate goals received 16.3% of votes cast last Thursday. Green Century put forth the proposal after the largest U.S. wireless carrier eliminated much of its sustainability reporting, yet maintained its 2035 targets to reduce emissions across its supply-chain.
“Verizon has failed to hold the line on voicing its plans to mitigate the risks of rising emissions,” said Leslie Samuelrich, president of Green Century. “Investors need information on how Verizon intends to achieve its long-term climate targets and protect shareholder value.”
Green Century has successfully called on the telecommunications giant to improve its commitment to climate action in the past. In 2018, Green Century urged Verizon to improve its clean energy goals. After negotiations, Verizon raised its goal of procuring energy from renewables, including wind and solar, from 4% to 50% by 2025. The company reached that target in 2025, cutting 2.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from its carbon footprint. That’s equivalent to taking about 500,000 cars off the road for one year.
The cost of connection
The telecom industry accounts for up to 4% of global emissions, with one-third of those emissions coming from the use of fossil fuels and purchase of energy and heat. Its climate impact is expected to grow as mobile traffic increases an estimated 20% per year until 2030. At the same time, telecommunication companies, including Verizon, are trying to become players in the growing market for emissions-intensive AI technology. By 2030, AI growth is predicted to produce an additional 24 to 44 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.
Rolling back reporting
Verizon and its peers– AT&T, Deutsche Telekom (owner of T-Mobile), and Vodafone– all have set targets to reduce growing greenhouse gas emissions. Given that The World Economic Forum predicts between $510–563 million in asset losses for the average telecom company from extreme heat alone by 2035, network providers have a financial stake in addressing global warming.
Verizon’s competitors with climate commitments are publicly sharing their progress and actions to reach their goals by publishing climate transition plans. AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, and Vodafone have all released roadmaps outlining current and future initiatives to address the consequences of rising emissions.
Meanwhile, Verizon significantly reduced its climate reporting in 2025, failing to publish the annual sustainability report it launched in 2004. The company released a responsible business update in 2025 in its place, which does not mention climate change, updates on its climate strategy, or previously reported details about its climate strategy.
This decrease in disclosure puts Verizon at odds with stakeholders who want to see Verizon deliver on its pollution-reducing pledge. Forty-five percent of retail customers value sustainability in their telecom providers, according to a 2024 McKinsey and Company study. A PwC survey in 2024 found that 75% of investors would moderately or significantly increase their investment in companies taking climate-related actions. As energy prices rise, emissions reductions can also realize up to 30% in energy cost savings.
“Verizon is phoning it in when it comes to informing investors on how it is reducing risks to its business and the planet,” said Green Century shareholder advocate Giovanna Eichner. “Details on the company’s progress toward its targets would affirm that it remains dedicated to tackling these risks alongside its competitors.”
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