Despite the Ukraine war: Business with Russia continues. Our countermotions

Agenda item 3: Resolution on the discharge of the members of Uniper Management Board for financial year 2021

The Association of Ethical Shareholders Germany proposes not to discharge the members of the Board of Management.

Justification:

The Board of Management does not honor its responsibility for climate protection and the necessity to reduce dependance on fossil energy, most prominently natural gas from Russia.

Massive increase of CO2 emissions, no focus on renewable energies

The Uniper Board of Management has supported the massive dependence on fossil natural gas, most prominently also sourced from Russia. More than half of Uniper’s power generation in 2021 was based on fossil natural gas and oil, compared to 2020 Uniper needed 15% oil and gas. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/uniper-2/despite-the-ukraine-war-business-with-russia-continues-our-countermotions/

RWE must stop financing Putin’s war against Ukraine

Vladimir Slivyak received the Right Livelihood Award 2022

Statement by Vladimir Slivyak, Ecodefense Russia, to the RWE AG Annual General Meeting on 28 April 2022*

The world is approaching yet another anniversary of the worst nuclear reactor accident in history, which happened 36 years ago in Chernobyl, then the Soviet Union. War in Ukraine brought it back on the agenda as Russian troops attacked this idle nuclear plant not long ago. As long as the war continues, the risk of a new nuclear accident remains extremely high. This war needs to be stopped immediately and there is common international understanding everything possible must be done to achieve peace. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/rwe-en/rwe-must-stop-financing-putins-war-against-ukraine/

New oil and gas projects shouldn’t be insured anymore: Our countermotion

Countermotion on Agenda Item 3 (Resolution to approve the actions of the Board of Management):

The Association of Ethical Shareholders Germany proposes that the actions of the members of the Board of Management not be ratified.

Reasons:

Munich Reinsurance Company’s Board of Management continues to fail to sufficiently fulfil its responsibility to implement more effective measures for climate protection.

Munich Re has been warning of the catastrophic effects of the climate crisis and calling for countermeasures for almost 50 years. In its own business, however, the Group is too hesitant in its measures against the use of fossil fuels, even though they are the main cause of the climate crisis. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/munich-re/new-oil-and-gas-projects-shouldnt-be-insured-anymore-our-countermotion/

Deals with Gazprom, dependence on fossil gas, deficits in climate protection and double standards regarding pesticides: Our countermotions

Re agenda item 3: Adoption of a resolution giving formal approval to the actions of the members of the Supervisory Board

The Association of Ethical Shareholders Germany proposes that the actions of the members of the Supervisory Board for the 2021 financial year not be approved.

Rationale:

The Supervisory Board is still unable to credibly fulfil its role as the controlling body of the Board of Executive Directors in order to supervise BASF’s realignment independently, critically and constructively.

Shareholders’ dissatisfaction with the Supervisory Board remains high: At the 2021 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, almost 20 percent refused to approve the actions of the Supervisory Board under the new leadership of Dr. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/basf-se/deals-with-gazprom-dependence-on-fossil-gas-deficits-in-climate-protection-and-double-standards-regarding-pesticides-our-countermotions/

Fossil fuels from Russia and environmental and human rights due diligence: Our questions on matters to be considered at the Fortum AGM 2022

Fortum’s answers to our questions are published here: https://www.fortum.com/files/answers-shareholders-questions-fortum-agm-2022/download

1) Fossil and nuclear fuel imports are the biggest source for financing Russia’s war against Ukraine, which includes uncounted war crimes like arbitrary shelling of civilian infrastructure, hospitals and nursery schools, the siege of entire cities and summary executions of civilians. Will Fortum and Uniper use their economic leverage and stop all imports of gas, coal and nuclear fuel from Russia immediately?

2) How much fossil or nuclear fuels did Fortum and Uniper import in 2021 from Russia? Who were the Russian counterparts? Please specify for gas, coal and nuclear fuels.

How much fossil or nuclear fuels did Fortum and Uniper import between January 1st of 2022 and February 23rd of 2022 from Russia? Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/fortum-en/fossil-fuels-from-russia-and-environmental-and-human-rights-due-diligence-our-questions-on-matters-to-be-considered-at-the-fortum-agm-2022/

Draft law on virtual Annual General Meetings restricts shareholders’ rights

  • Restricted right to speak and ask questions would create second-class shareholder meetings
  • Investors warn of negative consequences for shareholder engagement and fewer opportunities to exert influence for more sustainable business practices
  • Detailed statement with proposals for strengthening shareholder rights submitted

Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Florence. The Association of Ethical Shareholders Germany, Shareholders for Change (SfC) and CRIC, an association promoting ethics and sustainability in investment, view the draft law of the Federal Ministry of Justice on virtual general meetings with concern. The three networks, which represent institutional investors and small shareholders, criticise the planned far-reaching restrictions on the right to speak and ask questions as counterproductive for a lively culture of debate. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/virtual-agms/draft-law-on-virtual-general-meetings-restricts-shareholders-rights/

Poor climate performance due to supplies to coal and gas projects, wind farms in occupied Western Sahara: Our countermotions

Regarding Agenda Item 3: To ratify the acts of the members of the Executive Board

The Association of Ethical Shareholders Germany requests that the acts of the members of the Executive Board not be ratified.

Rationale:

The Executive Board of Siemens Energy AG is not living up to its responsibility to comply with the goals of the Paris Agreement because the company continues to participate in energy projects that are particularly harmful to the climate. It has no concrete plans to withdraw from all fossil energies.

Contract for a new coal-fired power plant is responsible for an abysmal climate footprint

Siemens Energy is actively involved in expanding the use of energies that are harmful to the climate. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/siemens-energy-2/poor-climate-performance-due-to-supplies-to-coal-and-gas-projects-wind-farms-in-violation-of-international-law-our-countermotions/

Civil Society Position Statement on the proposed EU regulation on deforestation-free products

We, the undersigned organisations, welcome the European Commission’s proposalfor a new EU regulation on deforestation-free products. This proposal represents an essential step forward in global environmental governance and a huge opportunity to minimise the EU’s impacts on people and planet in line with its commitments on climate, biodiversity and human rights. It is now up to the European Parliament and Member States to preserve and improve the essential elements of the Commission’s proposal and deliver a strong and ambitious law that meets the high expectations of EU citizens. To that end, we call on the European Parliament and Member States to ensure the current proposal is strengthened to include:

  1. Strong sustainability requirements based on objective criteria that ensure no goods linked to deforestation or forest degradation, as foreseen in the Commission’s proposal, but also to the conversion of other natural ecosystems or human rights violations, may be placed on or exported from the EU market.
Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/human-rights-due-diligence/civil-society-position-statement-on-the-proposed-eu-regulation-on-deforestation-free-products/