Target 15.5: Halt biodiversity loss; protect threatened species
Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species
Owners remove an obstacle nothing else removes. Others must also act.
Why shareholder democracy is necessary
Habitat loss and species decline are driven by the land conversion, pollution and sourcing practices of food, forestry, chemicals, mining and packaging companies. That is why more than 230 investors with over $30 trillion formed Nature Action 100 to engage 100 companies. Its 2024 benchmark found 68 of 100 companies disclose a commitment to protect nature but only one has fully assessed which nature-related risks and dependencies matter enough to affect its business. Owners can shift habitat-relevant conduct. The 98 percent deforestation vote at Bunge in 2021 and the Majority Action campaign against ADM directors in 2022 demonstrate it. As You Sow runs a dedicated biodiversity program that files and negotiates shareholder resolutions on deforestation, deep-sea mining and watershed stewardship, winning deep-sea mineral exclusion policies from First Solar and General Motors. Species protection law and enforcement remain governmental, so owners supply a necessary input and governments must also act.
How this was scoredNecessary
Necessary. Owners remove an obstacle nothing else removes. Others must also act.
We have not yet written down the two answers behind this rating. Recording them on every item, so a reader can check the reasoning and not only the conclusion, is work in progress.
Every rating is the higher of two answers, one for what companies do and one for what they spend to stop the outcome, because the same vote reaches both. See the full method.
Sources
- At COP16, Nature Action 100 reveals results of its first benchmark assessments of corporate action on nature, Nature Action 100, 2024-10-28
- Bunge to Strengthen No-Deforestation Efforts in the Amazon, Cerrado, Green Century Capital Management, 2024-04-29
- Notice of Exempt Solicitation: Majority Action regarding Archer-Daniels-Midland Company, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR), 2022-04-15
- Biodiversity Program, As You Sow, accessed 2026-08-28
What civil society organizations are helping owners on this
Runs a biodiversity program that files shareholder proposals on deep-sea mining, deforestation and freshwater stewardship and reports commitments from General Motors, First Solar, Mission Produce, Costco and Sunrun.
Filed an exempt solicitation urging shareholders to vote against ADM's chief executive and lead director over inadequate deforestation and climate policies.
Files shareholder proposals asking Chemours to conduct biodiversity assessments before mining near the Okefenokee wetland ecosystem.
Okefenokee Swamp protected from mining, for now, Green Century Capital Management, 2025-07
3 campaigns on record
Implement a sourcing policy excluding deep-sea mined minerals from its supply chains until scientific findings are sufficient to assess the material environmental risks.
Result: Withdrawn, agreement reached
As You Sow reports a public assurance from General Motors against using deep-sea mined minerals.
General Motors Co: Establish a Policy for the Use of Deep Sea Mined Minerals, As You Sow, 2024-12
Conduct a biodiversity assessment before the company mines in ecologically sensitive areas such as the Okefenokee.
Result: Won enough support to refile in future years; percentage not stated in source
In 2022 Green Century had secured a commitment from Chemours to refrain from mining near the Okefenokee in the near term; in 2025 The Conservation Fund bought about 8,000 acres from Twin Pines Minerals, halting the proposed mine.
Okefenokee Swamp protected from mining, for now, Green Century Capital Management, 2025-07
Vote against CEO and Chair Juan Luciano and Lead Director Donald Felsinger at the May 5, 2022 annual meeting because ADM's deforestation policy lacks firm conversion commitments and cut-off dates and the company has no net zero commitment.
Result: not stated in source
Related subjects on other maps
How this rating was made
Every item on every one of our maps is read against one question: how far does this depend on the people who own companies voting their values? We answer it twice, once for what companies do and once for what they spend to stop the outcome, and take whichever answer is higher, since the same vote reaches both. The score carries its reasoning and its sources so that a reader can check it rather than take it.
- Pivotal. Owners voting their values can deliver most of the outcome.
- Necessary. Owners remove an obstacle nothing else removes, and others must also act.
- Helpful. Owners voting their values help, and others carry most of it.
- Independent. This moves without owners. Other levers carry it.
The advocacy record on this page holds only what a source we opened says happened. Where we searched and found nothing, the page says so rather than leaving a silence. Where a campaign names a filer the source does not name, it says that too. Ratings are ours; the list of subjects is UN Sustainable Development Goals's, and we link to their original.
How we score dependency, in full.