Shareholder Advocacy

The Rose Foundation has a long history of filing shareholder resolutions to pressure companies such as the Maxxam Corporation to operate more sustainably. The Maxxam Shareholder Campaign, conducted from 1995 - 2001, was widely credited with helping to save key portions of northern California's Headwaters Redwood Forest.  Current shareholder engagements are coordinated through the Investor Environmental Health Network, a collaborative partnership of investment managers, advised by nongovernmental organizations, concerned about the market and health risks associated with corporate policies and practices regarding the use of toxic chemicals in products. IEHN participants, managing more than $41 billion in assets, seek to lower portfolio risk and increase returns by encouraging companies to reduce or eliminate toxic chemicals. IEHN works by engaging companies via inquiry letters and, if necessary, shareholder resolutions.  IEHN also sponsors research describing the business case for safer chemicals policies.