Reports

As You Sow has produced over two dozen reports on a wide range of issues. Click a report subject below to navigate.



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CLEAN 200™: Investing in a Clean Energy Future (2017)

— February 21st 2017

Over the past six years, and growing dramatically leading up to and post-Paris COP 21 and Marrakesh COP 22, a movement of institutional and individual investors representing more than $5tn in assets under management have divested a portion of their fossil fuel investments and committed to divesting the balance in the next five years. The corollary of divesting fossil fuels is re-investing in the clean energy future. As an invitation to a larger discussion of how we can invest in a clean energy future, we created the Carbon Clean 200 (Clean200TM)—a list of the 200 largest companies worldwide ranked by their total clean energy revenues.

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Disclosing the Facts 2016: Transparency and Risk in Hydraulic Fracturing Operations

Hydraulic Fracturing — December 14th 2016

While the coal industry used its recent setbacks as an opportunity to shuck off environmental responsibilities, 20 of 28 oil and gas companies engaged in hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) actually improved their scores in an annual investor report card ranking the companies on how they report their policies to reduce risks from fracking operations. Even so, much work remains to be done, with seven out of 10 fracking companies still earning failing scores.

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Clean 200™: Investing in a Clean Energy Future (2016)

— August 14th 2016

Over the past year, a growing movement of investors representing more than $3.4tn in assets under management have divested some portion of their fossil fuel investments. But where to invest this capital? The Clean200 ranks the largest publicly listed companies by their total clean energy revenues, with a few added environmental, social, and governance screens to help ensure the companies are indeed building the infrastructure and services needed for what many have called the “Great Energy Transition” in a just and equitable way. Notably, this new report highlights the fact that clean energy investments greatly outperform stagnating fossil fuel stocks.

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Unconventional Risks: The Growing Uncertainty of Oil Investments

Climate Change — July 13th 2016

Unconventional Risks: The Growing Uncertainty of Oil Investments, addresses a series of transformative changes in the global oil market, including sharply rising costs of reserve replacement, competition from new technologies, a global imperative to quickly reduce carbon, and the potential for demand disruptions. The report considers the financial stress these factors are causing and looks at possible future directions for these companies.

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Disclosing the Facts 2015

Hydraulic Fracturing — January 8th 2016

Disclosing the Facts 2015 is the fourth in a series of investor reports intended to promote improved operating practices among oil and gas companies engaged in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing operations often use toxic chemicals and high volumes of water, release significant levels of greenhouse gases and other pollutants, and have the potential to adversely impact local communities when not properly managed. These issues translate into financial risks to companies and shareholders in the form of fines, regulations, or threats to companies’ social license to operate.

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Green Muni Bonds Playbook

Climate Change — July 28th 2015

This fifteen page report provides guidance for cities and other public entities that issue municipal bonds to pay for infrastructure such as energy, water and transportation. It describes the state of the market, the benefits of issuing green bonds, how the market defines what is green and the steps cities need to take to access this growing market.

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Disclosing the Facts 2014

Hydraulic Fracturing — December 10th 2014

Disclosing the Facts 2014: Transparency and Risk in Hydraulic Fracturing Operations, an update to our 2013 report analyzing whether companies report their practices and progress in reducing risks of their hydraulic fracturing operations, was released today by As You Sow, Boston Common Asset Management, Green Century Capital Management, and the Investor Environmental Health Network.

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Disclosing the Facts 2013

Hydraulic Fracturing — November 22nd 2013

Companies across the board are failing to report reductions of their impacts on communities and the environment from hydraulic fracturing.

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Cleantech Redefined

Climate Change — October 26th 2013

After years in development, cleantech is now going mainstream. Cleantech infrastructure, technology and services are revolutionizing how we make, grow, transport and consume things. They're helping the world meet energy demands. They're creating livelihoods and prosperity in uncertain economies. Is there still time for investors to make good returns in cleantech? Yes. Here's why.

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The Reinvestment Handbook: Green Endowments Initiative

Climate Change — July 22nd 2013

The Reinvestment Handbook is a resource for the next generation of responsible investors. It is designed to help students better understand their university endowment, the key pillars of SRI funds including screening for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, performance of ESG investments, funds, and portfolios, and basic finance concepts.

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The Coal Divestment Toolkit: Moving Endowments Beyond Coal

Carbon Divestment — July 26th 2013

Divestment is the process of selling an asset for either financial or social goals. Divestment is a powerful way to take a stand against companies involved in an activity that is morally reprehensible. This strategy has been used to send a strong message and to force change in corporate policies and governance. Through divestment campaigns, shareholders (the people and organizations that own corporate stock) take responsibility for the actions of the companies they own and demand change or sell their shares.

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Update: Financial Risks of Investments in Coal

Coal — July 8th 2012

As You Sow's Update to the White Paper provides a snapshot of the current trends underlying five financial risks for investments in coal: for mining companies, they are driving shifts in generator demand away from coal; for electric utilities, they are making “cheap coal” costly compared to other generating options or increased efficiency.

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White Paper: Financial Risks of Investments in Coal

Coal — July 8th 2011

In June 2011, As You Sow released White Paper: Financial Risks of Investments in Coal that lays out the financial risks of continued reliance on coal for electricity generation.