Major fund manager
Unlike many large investors, State Street actually has a number of fossil free funds - which shows that State Street understands the existential threat of climate change. Yet, even in its fossil-free funds, and across its portfolios, State Street still has huge investments in companies like JBS, Sime Darby, Posco and Mitsubishi that grow and trade palm oil, cattle, and rubber, and others like Tesco and Carrefour that use these commodities in their products but have failed to eliminate deforestation from their operations. This means State Street has a key role to play in voting for No Deforestation policies at these companies and engaging with company management to make sure these policies are implemented. Tell State Street to improve its climate game by adopting a No Deforestation Policy!
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17%
INVESTED IN DEFORESTATION-RISK COMPANIES
AGRIBUSINESS
deforestation-risk producers and traders of palm oil, paper/pulp, rubber, timber, cattle, and soy
BANKS AND LENDERS
that finance deforestation-risk agribusiness producers via lending and underwriting
MAJOR CONSUMER BRANDS
that use deforestation-risk agribusiness commodities in products
102
FUNDS ANALYZED
1,987
HOLDINGS FLAGGED
17%
OF ASSETS FLAGGED
How State Street is invested in the climate crisis
State Street Global Advisors is the fourth largest asset manager in the world (and third largest in the United States) with over $2.8 trillion of assets under management. The Boston-based investor has billions of dollars invested in fossil fuels and agribusinesses responsible for deforestation – the two greatest contributors to the climate crisis.
State Street's climate risk by the numbers*
- $56 BILLION invested in fossil fuels and agribusiness - the two greatest contributors to the climate crisis.
- $2 BILLION invested in deforestation-risk agribusiness companies (palm oil, paper/pulp, rubber, timber, cattle, and soy).
- $54 BILLION invested in fossil fuel companies in State Street funds. (See more on State Street's fossil fuel investments at Fossil Free Funds.)
- $52 MILLION invested in fossil fuels and agribusiness in State Street's so-called "sustainable" funds.
*As of January 2020. Portfolios analyzed include U.S.-domiciled open-end funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with at least 40% of assets invested directly in equities. Figures do not include any exposure from other asset classes such as fixed income funds, collective trusts, or funds domiciled outside the U.S. Some companies tracked are active in both fossil fuels and agribusiness, and this is reflected in the totals.
State Street's investments in deforestation and climate crisis include exposure to companies that are driving unprecedented fires in the Amazon Rainforest, destruction of critical wildlife habitats in Indonesia, and gross human rights violations around the world.
- Bunge, Archer Daniels Midland, and JBS have expansive plantations in Brazil that helped create the conditions for fires in the Amazon Rainforest resulting in the destruction of hundreds of thousands of hectares of forest. JBS in particular has also been implicated in illegal practices and corruption.
- Wilmar International is the largest palm oil trader in the world and holds a land bank of over 1,500,000 acres in Malaysia, Indonesia, West Africa and the Congo basin. Wilmar's operations have been frequently linked with deforestation, land grabbing, water pollution, protracted conflicts, bribery, destruction of critical wildlife habitat and forest fires. In 2013, Wilmar adopted a No Deforestation, No Peatland Destruction, No Exploitation policy; however independent reports have found that since 2013, Wilmar's suppliers have cleared a forest area totaling 21,500 hectares.
- Posco and its subsidiary PT Bio Inti Agrindo (PT BIA) are responsible for destroying 26,500 hectares of forest in Indonesia's Papua province. In 2015, the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund divested from Posco Daewoo/Posco International and in June 2018 ABP, the world fifth largest pension fund, divested 300,000 Euros from the company over its failure to address deforestation.
What is in Vanguard's supposed "sustainable" funds?
State Street currently offers six funds that have a sustainability mandate. However, four out of six of State Street's "sustainable" funds include investments in both fossil fuels and deforestation-risk agribusiness companies.
- The dirtiest "sustainable" fund contains $31 MILLION in fossil fuel and deforestation-risk agribusiness companies.
- In total, State Street's "sustainable funds" contain $52 MILLION in the companies driving the climate crisis.
Despite recognizing climate risk, State Street’s policies fall short
State Street has no explicit policies on deforestation or land grabbing. While State Street CEO Ronald O’Hanley says his investment firm recognizes the material risk posed by climate crisis, he fails to point to tangible actions or policies State Street has adopted to act on these risks. Beyond endorsing carbon-pricing mechanisms and calling for increased disclosure, State Street does not have explicit policies to guide their investments or engagement with companies responsible for deforestation, land grabbing, or increased greenhouse gas emissions. Notably, State Street did not sign on to a 2019 investor statement calling for action regarding Amazon fires.
What should State Street Do?
- Make sustainability the default: Make fossil fuel and deforestation-free funds the default for all its investment products.
- Disclose its exposure to climate, deforestation, and related human rights risks.
- Commit to robust climate and no deforestation policies in order to reduce exposure to ESG risk and drive change in investee companies.
- Exclude from investment portfolios companies that routinely engage in deforestation, human rights abuses, and massive carbon emissions.
- Repair the damage by engaging with companies to remedy past harms through restoring damaged forests and eco-systems and implementing active and responsive grievance mechanisms.
Help State Street clean up its act on deforestation and climate risk. Sign the petition
102 funds with $92.75B in stocks of deforestation-risk agribusiness, banks and lenders, and major consumer brands
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