Deforestation Free 401(k)s: A How-To Guide

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1 Deforestation Free 401(k)s: A How-To Guide HOW-TO GUIDE July 2016 To help build a cleaner, more socially responsible world for the people for the planet for the future

Many thanks to As You Sow for inspiration and feedback in the

org) Friends of the Earth US Washington, D.C.

Berkeley, CA 94704 Phone: 510-900-3150 Please visit us at org for the

2 Many thanks to As You Sow for inspiration and feedback in the development of this How-To Guide, ( Friends of the Earth US Washington, D.C th Street NW 11th Floor Washington DC Phone: Friends of the Earth US California 2150 Allston Way Suite 360 Berkeley, CA Phone: Please visit us at for the people for the planet for the future Copyright July 2016 by Friends of the Earth U.S. 2 Deforestation Free 401(k)s: A How-To Guide For questions or comments, please contact jconant@foe.org

3 How forest friendly are your 401(k) fund choices? Your 401(k) portfolio could be an engine for more positive impact. Learn how you can help move your employer-sponsored retirement plan to offer a palm oil-safe and socially responsible fund, allowing you to invest your retirement to help build a cleaner, more socially responsible world. Deforestation Free 401(k)s: A How-To Guide 3

4 How your money may be tied to dirty palm oil 401K Investment Retirement Investment College Professors Government employees Non-profits Unions Responsible person saving for retirement Investment firms Consumer brands Photo: Jason Taylor/FoE International and more... Palm oil producers and traders Deforestation & Labor exploitation Retirement Indonesia Malaysia Uganda Nigeria Guatemala Peru 4 Deforestation Free 401(k)s: A How-To Guide

If your investments are in your employer-sponsored plan at work If you don t have an IRA or a personal investment that you control, one

oil-safe and socially responsible funds to the list of your employer-offered 401(k) options.

options is important. This may take time and possibly some coordination with your co-plan participants.

5 If your investments are in your employer-sponsored plan at work If you don t have an IRA or a personal investment that you control, one of the best ways to make sure you re not invested in problematic palm oil companies is to work with your employer to add one or more palm oil-safe and socially responsible funds to the list of your employer-offered 401(k) options. You will need to engage the plan administrator, point them to the right list of funds, and make the case as to why offering such fund options is important. This may take time and possibly some coordination with your co-plan participants. We outline steps below that will help you work with employer to make this happen. A partial list of companies that have pledged to go deforestation free as of September, 2015 Deforestation Free 401(k)s: A How-To Guide 5

1Talk to your colleagues and build a coalition To effectively advocate for palm oil-safe offerings through your employer-sponsored plan, first build a coalition of peers and interested co-workers

6 1Talk to your colleagues and build a coalition To effectively advocate for palm oil-safe offerings through your employer-sponsored plan, first build a coalition of peers and interested co-workers inside your company. Your voice will be much stronger as a group. If you re writing to someone in power, advocating on behalf of 10 or even 20 people carries a lot more weight than just one. One way to spur interest would be sharing results from Deforestation Free Funds with fellow employees. This can be done using social media available on each page of the site. All plan participants are offered the same basket of mutual funds as you are, so they are probably asking the same questions right now. It will certainly make interesting conversation over the water-cooler. Some companies have green teams, or there may be other employee sponsored affinity groups you could approach. If there isn t one already, it may be time to create one that can address palm oil investments and deforestation. Communicate with your co-workers through a company intranet, employee portal, a company newsletter, corporate chats, or social media. The herd is heard! So, create a petition or letter to the HR manager, the CEO, or your company s 401(k) manager as a first step. Also, engage those employees most interested in supporting this quest to be allies who will call or write individually, at crucial points in the process, as you move forward. 6 Deforestation Free 401(k)s: A How-To Guide

2Identify the best people in the company to speak with The 401(k)/403(b) plan administrator, manager, or coordinator should be known to you if you are a plan participant.

7 2Identify the best people in the company to speak with The 401(k)/403(b) plan administrator, manager, or coordinator should be known to you if you are a plan participant. This is the person that will ultimately have to agree to make the requested change. But, to make sure you have the best chance of success when approaching such managers, in addition to building a coalition of supportive employees, consider building a coalition of support, or a few key allies, within the company. Your company might have a chief sustainability officer or employee engagement manager, which could be good resources in supporting your effort. One effective place to start building allies is to go to LinkedIn pages and find those persons who might have some sympathy for the cause. Do any of them volunteer or have connections with organizations concerned with climate change? Look for indicators that they re friendly to sustainability and start contacting them in order of their friendliness. In a publicly listed company with more structure, a coalition is vital to signal to managers that it s an important issue for many employees. If it s a smaller company, the CFO or CEO could be approached directly. In a mid-size or family company, a family member could be more influential. Deforestation Free 401(k)s: A How-To Guide 7

8 3Bring a solution to the table The usual starting point in these conversations is: We want to avoid investing in companies that contribute to deforestation. We also want to reduce the future risk of our 401(k) fund choices. Adding funds to our 401(k) choices that are rated as both palm oil-safe and socially responsible on the Deforestation Free Funds tool is an easy way to do so. Note that getting three fund choices added to the existing is a formal process, and could take up to a year. Larger companies often have some form of investment committee, which engages an investment advisor. If the investment advisor and plan administrator refuse to help in swapping out funds invested in deforestation and dirty palm oil (or fossil fuels, for that matter), you may need to pull out your employee petition, or organize letters or calls from your management supporters to the investment committee. If you are told, But you ll make less money if you re not invested in palm oil or fossil fuels, you can say, Actually, investing in companies that destroy forests and cause social conflicts is a risky bet. In fact, the Department of Labor recently affirmed that environmental and social factors may have a direct impact on the value of an investment, and can be considered as part of a 401(k) administrator s fiduciary duty. To find out if your money may be invested in palm oil-related deforestation, and to find clean funds, look at DeforestationFreeFunds.org 8 Deforestation Free 401(k)s: A How-To Guide

If you re an individual investor It is fairly easy to reinvest the investments you have in dirty palm oil. You can trade your own portfolio, or tell your manager to do it.

9 If you re an individual investor It is fairly easy to reinvest the investments you have in dirty palm oil. You can trade your own portfolio, or tell your manager to do it. It s your money, and your financial advisor works for you. You just need to have a meeting to discuss what you have learned about your holdings and how you would like your holdings changed to align with your values. An investment professional will advise you of potential risk and you can make your decisions. They may push back and tell you that you ll make less money. Again, you can reply, Maybe, but it s my money, I want less risk, and dirty palm oil companies are risky business look at fossil fuels and conflict diamonds. Your financial advisor wants, and it s their job, to make you money, so you should drive home the point in no uncertain terms. You should also let them know that their fiduciary duty to you includes consideration of your appetite for environmental and social risk. Ask for help finding the best choices. The advisor may say no if you tell them to invest in a specific fund because it has a short or rocky history, so you may need to be patient as they find a better alternative. The goal is to focus on and remove the risk, especially future risk, as well as returns, not a specific fund. If your manager is being lazy or unwilling to help you with this transition, find a new advisor. If your broker is tied to a big-name brand, they may only be able to offer products that the particular company has approved. If you want innovation, you might need a new advisor. Deforestation Free 401(k)s: A How-To Guide 9

10 Sample petition letter to Retirement Plan manager Dear Plan Administrator, I am an employee of [Company Name], and I participate in our company 401(k) plan. I am writing to raise concerns about tropical deforestation and human rights abuses that may be supported by our current investment policy and about my desire to have options for socially responsible funds. Palm oil is used in over half the food and cosmetics on our shelves and is the single fastestgrowing driver of deforestation, displacement of forest-dwelling indigenous communities across the tropics, and is a major driver of climate change. As the palm oil sector s environmental and social effects become more widely recognized, investments in these destructive palm oil companies are becoming increasingly risky. I [and the attached list of employees] would like to be able to invest in a fund that does not harm forests for purposes of palm oil production or sales. Through use of an online tool at deforestationfreefunds.org I was able to analyze many commonly available mutual funds and identify ones that earn a top score regarding the global palm oil trade. Importantly, this tool also provides information on funds that are also socially responsible. I note that none of the funds offered in our 401(k) fund are currently palm oil-safe and socially responsible. In addition to palm oil-safe, I [we] seek a fund that is socially responsible. Socially responsible investing is no longer just an ethical issue, it is a key factor in reducing investment risk and impacting financial well-being. New guidelines from the Department of Labor state that environmental, social, and governance factors may have a direct relationship to the economic and financial value of an investment and can be used when making decisions related to fiduciary duty. Since none of our current plan options are both socially responsible and earn a top rating as palm oil-safe, I request that our 401(k) fund plan begin offering one or more such funds in which interested employees can invest. The deforestationfreefunds.org tool is a good option for finding suitable mutual funds that could be included in our plan. Thank you in advance for looking into this. I appreciate your time and look forward to hearing from you. Best, [Your Name] [Your contact information (company department, , phone)] [Attachment: Employee/manager letter of support] 10 Deforestation Free 401(k)s: A How-To Guide

Global Companies Joining Climate Change Efforts

Global Companies Joining Climate Change Efforts NAME: By JUSTIN GILLIS and NICHOLAS ST. FLEUR SEPT. 23, 2015 Some of the world s most prominent companies are expected to set a long-term target on Wednesday