Global Warming -
Energy
2005 – Apache Corp.
WHEREAS:
The American Geophysical Union, the world’s largest
organization of earth, ocean and climate scientists, states it is “virtually
certain” that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions cause global warming and that the
warming will continue.
A 2004 report by the
Bush Administration’s Climate Change Science Program stated that increases in
human-derived GHG emissions are the only likely explanation for global warming
over the past three decades.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s “Climate Action Report –
2002,” concluded that climate change poses risks to coastal communities from
sea level rise, water shortages, and increases in the heat index and heat wave
frequency.
Polls
in 2003 and 2004 found 75-80% of Americans favor mandatory controls on GHG
emissions.
Carbon regulation is growing. The Kyoto Protocol will cap GHG
emissions in 30 industrialized countries beginning in 2005. At least half of
U.S. states are addressing global warming through legislation, lawsuits or
governors’ programs.
A
2004 Conference Board report declared, “The global economy will become less
carbon-intensive over time…The real questions are what the pace of the
transition will be and who will be the winners and losers…[B]usinesses that
ignore the debate over climate change will do so at their peril."
We
believe our industry is highly exposed to climate change risk; over half of US
GHG emissions US are from oil and gas combustion, according to the Energy
Information Administration.
Analysts
at Goldman Sachs, Deloitte & Touche, Booz Allen, McKinsey, Bank of America,
and WestLB Panmure have recognized the financial risks of climate change and
raised concerns about companies that do not adequately disclose them.
Industry
leaders like Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips, Statoil, Amerada Hess and Suncor are
taking actions to reduce their exposure to climate related risks, including
assuming a cost for carbon in their strategic planning, reporting and reducing
their GHG emissions, engaging in emissions trading, and investing in renewable
energy. BP reports that its emissions reduction activities have generated
savings with an NPV of $650 million.
According
to Oil and Gas Investor, the
industry’s environmental record is hurting its ability to attract strong
employees. Companies like BP claim that their proactive stance on climate
change helps to recruit and retain quality employees.
Anadarko
annually submits the publicly available "Voluntary Climate Change
Challenge Progress Report" to the Canadian government (publicly), but
produces no comparable report on its U.S. operations;
RESOLVED: Shareholders request
that a committee of independent Board directors assess how the company is
responding to rising regulatory, competitive, and public pressure to
significantly reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions and
report to shareholders (at reasonable cost and omitting proprietary
information) by September 1, 2005.
SUPPORTING STATEMENT:
We
believe management has a fiduciary duty to assess and disclose to shareholders
all pertinent information about its response to climate change. We believe
early action to reduce emissions and prepare for standards could provide
competitive advantages, while inaction and opposition to emissions control
efforts could expose companies to regulatory, litigation, and reputation risk.
Sponsors:
Lead: Boston Common Asset Management, Mr. Steven Heim; Citizens Advisers Inc.; Domini Social Investments; Ethical Funds
Company; Maryknoll Sisters; Nathan Cummings Foundation; Needmor Fund; Trillium
Asset Management; United Methodist Church -General Board of Pension &
Health Benefits; Walden Asset Management