It’s been a little challenging to find pockets of sunshine in the sustainability world in the past year or so, but here is something worth celebrating. Net Zero Investor reports that
“First Solar is the first solar manufacturer to commit to exclude minerals mined from deep sea production and supply chains due to environmental concerns. The agreement, which was negotiated by shareholder advocacy group As You Sow, marks the fifth deep sea mining withdrawal agreement so far in 2025 as investors and activists prepare for the hotly contested AGM season.
As You Sow has subsequently withdrawn a shareholder proposal with the company that addressed the use of deep sea mined minerals.”
This is a win on two fronts. Obviously, this is a big win for ocean health. Second, it is an “easy” win for First Solar in terms of having a shareholder proposal withdrawn with little mess. I put “easy” in quotes because the company likely hadn’t invested much into ocean mining. I don’t know for sure, but their 2024 Sustainability Report doesn’t mention it and I found nothing about it in internet searches. The article also points out that “a growing list of 60 companies and 30 countries have already agreed to a moratorium [on seabed mining].”
It’s nice to have a win. Or two.
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