PepsiCo

Greens to Ratchet Up Shareholder Activism

Submitted by Paul Chesser on Thu, 08/19/2010 - 16:48

$ green image If you think environmentalist shareholder tactics like those employed by Rockefeller descendants on Exxon – which push their agenda via resolutions at annual meetings rather than promote company profitability – then you haven’t seen anything yet, according to a Marketwatch report yesterday. After the BP oil leak disaster and the Massey Energy coal mining accident that killed 29 workers, green activists are expected to increase pressure on corporate executives next year:

Noisy Sun Chips Bag Underscores Bigger PepsiCo Problem

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Thu, 08/19/2010 - 11:36

Sun Chips' loud bag is getting lots of attention, including a Wall Street Journal story yesterday. PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division bills it as “The World’s First 100% Compostable Chip Package.”

The overwhelming crinkle of the bag annoys people, and it is inappropriate in certain settings like theaters and schools. It is hard to imagine how this bag ever got off the drawing board when one considers how much PepsiCo spends on perfecting and marketing its products.

PepsiCo’s Lobbying for Cap and Trade Hit at Annual Meeting

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Tue, 05/04/2010 - 23:38

Nooyi photo NLPC is the sponsor of a shareholder proposal that asks PepsiCo to report on its lobbying priorities. Here are my remarks today at the PepsiCo annual meeting in Plano, Texas:

I regret that PepsiCo opposes this resolution asking for a report on the company’s lobbying priorities. I would think that management would welcome the opportunity to explain its priorities.

PepsiCo is a member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership a coalition of corporations and environmental groups. USCAP’s mission is to “quickly enact strong national legislation to require significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.” The House of Representatives has obliged in the form of the Waxman-Markey bill. According to the Heritage Foundation, this bill would destroy over 1.1 million jobs, hike electricity rates 90 percent, and reduce the U.S. gross domestic product by nearly $10 trillion over the next 25 years.

PepsiCo’s Lobbying for Cap and Trade to be Hit at Annual Meeting

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Tue, 05/04/2010 - 09:42

PepsiCo logo NLPC is sponsoring a PepsiCo shareholder proposal asking for a report on the company’s lobbying priorities. At the PepsiCo annual tomorrow in Plano, Texas, I will argue that the company’s lobbying priorities are seriously out of whack.

I will cite PepsiCo’s membership in U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), a coalition of corporations and environmental groups. USCAP’s mission is to “quickly enact strong national legislation to require significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.” The House of Representatives has obliged in the form of the Waxman-Markey bill that would destroy over 1.1 million jobs, hike electricity rates 90 percent, and reduce the U.S. gross domestic product by nearly $10 trillion over the next 25 years.

SEC: Pepsi Must Allow NLPC Proposal on Lobbying Priorities Like Cap and Trade

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Mon, 03/08/2010 - 21:18

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has ruled that PepsiCo may not exclude a shareholder proposal filed by NLPC that asks the company for a report on its lobbying priorities. PepsiCo is a member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), a coalition of corporations and environmental groups that lobbies for the disastrous cap and trade legislation.

Our resolution will appear in PepsiCo’s proxy materials, and I will speak in its support at the company’s annual meeting this spring.

By trying to preclude a shareholder discussion of this and other issues, PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi seems unwilling to publicly defend the company's controversial public policy positions, which is exactly the point of our resolution. Maybe the company should change its positions on cap and trade, and other issues where it sides with anti-business activists.

BP, ConocoPhillips and Caterpillar Quit Cap-and-Trade Lobby Group; PepsiCo Should Do The Same

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Wed, 02/17/2010 - 11:14

Nooyi photo Although they never should have been a part of it in the first place, three major companies have exited the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), a coalition of corporations and environmental groups. USCAP’s mission is to “quickly enact strong national legislation to require significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.” The House has obliged and the result, the Waxman-Markey bill, is too strong for both the Senate and the American people.

Instead of taking a principled stand against massive government intervention in the energy economy, corporate executives argued that global warming legislation was coming anyway, so it was better to be inside the room when it was negotiated. This was the same argument made by pharmaceutical companies when they threw their support behind Barack Obama’s health care plan.

Gingrich Must Sever Ties With Sharpton

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Sun, 10/25/2009 - 21:38

Sharpton/Gingrich It is time for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to end his association with Al Sharpton. The two have been appearing together around the country as part of something called the Education Equality Project.

As Dr. Carl Horowitz of our staff has documented in a Special Report released earlier this year, Sharpton has promoted fake hate crimes against blacks, and has inspired racial antagonism against whites and Jews. Indeed, this long-established pattern of behavior continues to the present.

Wal-Mart, PepsiCo Unapologetic About Bankrolling Sharpton After Rush Limbaugh/NFL Flap

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Mon, 10/19/2009 - 15:47

Emailers protesting Wal-Mart support for Al Sharpton’s group, the National Action Network, are getting the following response:

Walmart supports the National Action Network (NAN) as part of an ongoing effort to partner with national organizations that support issues and initiatives of importance to our customers, and the communities we serve.

Our support for NAN is focused on addressing health and wellness issues and other issues important to our customers and associates. Our company will continue to support organizations that can further our mission to help people live better.

Colgate-Palmolive Denies Supporting Sharpton Group in Wake of Rush Limbaugh/NFL Controversy

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Mon, 10/19/2009 - 14:45

Colgate ad Emailers protesting Colgate-Palmolive’s support for Al Sharpton’s group, the National Action Network (NAN), are getting a response that reads, in part:

We did not participate in the 2009 NAN Conference in New York City.

That’s interesting, because the conference program identifies Colgate-Palmolive as a “sponsor.” Even more interesting, a Colgate-Palmolive ad in a separate program from the same event states, in part:

Colgate-Palmolive is honored to be named Corporation of the Year by the National Action Network…

Sharpton’s Corporate Sponsors Funded Anti-Rush Limbaugh Campaign

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Wed, 10/14/2009 - 21:38

Sharpton photo Al Sharpton’s platform for his assault on Rush Limbaugh’s NFL ownership bid was the National Action Network (NAN), which is bankrolled by corporate America.

The following companies were identified this year by NAN as “sponsors”: American Honda, Anheuser Busch, Colgate-Palmolive, Comcast, Entergy, Ford Motor Company, Home Depot, Johnson & Johnson, Macy’s, PepsiCo, Pfizer and Wal-Mart. Sponsorship reportedly cost $50,000.

NLPC is asking these companies to end their support for Sharpton and NAN. Here’s how to contact them:

American Honda
phone: 1-800-999-1009 (Mon.-Fri., 6:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Pacific Time)
Fax: 310-783-3023 (24 hours)
Click here to find your local dealer.