RESOLVED: To amend the corporate Bylaws, by inserting the following new Section 5.08:
Section 5.08 Board Committee on Environmental Sustainability: There is established a Board Committee on Environmental Sustainability. The purpose of the committee is to review the company’s corporate policies, above and beyond matters of legal compliance, in order to assess, and make recommendations to enhance, the company’s policy responses to changing conditions and knowledge of the natural environment, including but not limited to, natural resource limitations, energy use, waste disposal, and climate change. Policy responses should include, among other things, an assessment of the company’s disclosure of quantitative environmental metrics.
The Board of Directors is authorized in its discretion, consistent with these bylaws and applicable law to: (1) designate the membership of the committee, (2) provide the committee with funds for operating expenses, (3) adopt a charter or resolution to specify the powers of the committee, (4) empower the committee to solicit public input and to issue periodic reports to shareholders and the public, at reasonable expense and excluding confidential information, on the Committee’s activities, findings and recommendations, and (5) adopt any other measures within the Board’s discretion consistent with these Bylaws and applicable law.
Nothing herein shall restrict the power of the Board of Directors to manage the business and affairs of the company. The Board Committee shall not incur any costs to the company except as authorized by the Board of Directors.
Supporting Statement
In the proponent’s opinion, issues related to environmental sustainability might include, but are not limited to: global climate change, emerging concerns regarding toxicity of materials, resource shortages, and biodiversity loss.
Adoption of this resolution would help to restore our company’s position in this area of increasing concern to investors and policy makers. Beginning October 2009, the company was removed from the NASDAQ Global Sustainability Index due to inadequate disclosure of quantitative environmental metrics. The Proponent believes establishing a separate board committee on sustainability is necessary to ensure that the Board of Directors will better address sustainability on an ongoing basis, elevating the priority given to these issues, and thereby restoring the company’s leadership position.