{"id":56135,"date":"2024-02-29T07:54:23","date_gmt":"2024-02-29T12:54:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nlpc.org\/?p=56135"},"modified":"2024-02-29T07:54:23","modified_gmt":"2024-02-29T12:54:23","slug":"watch-nlpc-calls-out-harmful-green-policies-at-deere-annual-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nlpc.org\/featured-news\/watch-nlpc-calls-out-harmful-green-policies-at-deere-annual-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"WATCH: NLPC Calls Out Harmful &#8216;Green&#8217; Policies at Deere Annual Meeting"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">NLPC Calls Out &#39;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GreenEnergy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#GreenEnergy<\/a>&#39; Policies at <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JohnDeere?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@JohnDeere<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/annualmeeting?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#annualmeeting<\/a> &#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Deere?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#Deere<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/JohnDeere?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#JohnDeere<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/agriculture?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#agriculture<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/farming?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#farming<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/forestry?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#forestry<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/fossilfuels?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#fossilfuels<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/climatescam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#climatescam<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/mining?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#mining<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/construction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#construction<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/uLmaS9bQMT\" target=\"_blank\">pic.twitter.com\/uLmaS9bQMT<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NLPC (@NLPC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NLPC\/status\/1763184870568665596?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">February 29, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, National Legal and Policy Center presented a \u201cCustomer and Company Sustainability Congruency Report\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/nlpc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Deere-proposal-sustainability-2024.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">proposal<\/a>\u00a0at\u00a0<a href=\"\/tag\/deere-and-company\">Deere &amp; Company<\/a>\u2018s annual shareholder meeting, which would require the company to explain its support of <a href=\"\/tag\/greenhouse-gases\">greenhouse gas<\/a> reduction and <a href=\"\/tag\/renewable-energy\">renewable energy<\/a> investments, and how they align with the ongoing viability of the primary industries the company serves: agriculture, forestry, and construction\/mining.<\/p>\n<p>Deere\u2019s board of directors opposed our proposal, as explained on pages 93-95 of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/315189\/000155837024000170\/de-20240228xdef14a.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">company\u2019s proxy statement<\/a>. NLPC\u2019s response to the Deere\u2019s board\u2019s opposition statement was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/315189\/000109690624000141\/nlpc_px14a6g.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission<\/a>\u00a0in early February.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking at the meeting as sponsor of the resolution was\u00a0<a href=\"\/paul-chesser\/\">Paul Chesser<\/a>, director of NLPC\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"\/corporate-integrity-project\/\">Corporate Integrity Project<\/a>. A transcript of his three-minute remarks follows:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>I\u2019m Paul Chesser with National Legal and Policy Center.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere <a href=\"https:\/\/www.commerce.senate.gov\/services\/files\/FC7C4946-11A3-4967-BF28-8D0386608D3E\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">grows bigger and healthier crops, faster<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere makes <u>trees<\/u> grow faster.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Healthier forests <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/articles\/2022\/city-trees-and-soil-are-sucking-more-carbon-out-of-the-atmosphere-than-previously-thought\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">store more carbon dioxide than they release<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>So what does Deere and Company <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prnewswire.com\/news-releases\/john-deeres-2022-sustainability-report-shows-progress-against-key-goals-301735617.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">have against carbon dioxide<\/a>?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Why does the company wage war against the vast majority of the agriculture, forestry and construction industries that buy its hydrocarbon-fueled equipment?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I was disappointed to see the Board of Directors lie to shareholders in the proxy statement, when they said that Deere\u2019s \u201csustainability reports already contain the information requested by the proposal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That is a lie, because when Deere\u2019s top lawyer told the Securities and Exchange Commission the exact same thing, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/files\/corpfin\/no-action\/14a-8\/nlpcdeere122223-14a8.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the SEC said \u201cOh no you didn\u2019t\u201d already include the information in your reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>As a result, the SEC made the Company keep our Proposal in today\u2019s meeting.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, the shareholders who are only now learning they were lied to by the Company, will have almost no time to change their votes, if they so desire.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s not the only thing the Company has misled shareholders about.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>As part of Deere\u2019s \u201cLeap Ambitions\u201d marketing scheme, the Company<a href=\"https:\/\/www.deere.com\/assets\/pdfs\/common\/our-company\/sustainability\/business-impact-report-2023.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> intends to deliver more than 20 electric and hybrid equipment models by 2026<\/a> (p. 7).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s right, in only two years from now!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Deere also plans an electric option in each Turf and Compact Utility Tractor product family.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And finally, Deere plans a fully autonomous, battery-powered electric ag tractor by 2026.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Mr. May, are you paying attention to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/autos\/news\/america-s-ev-boom-goes-bust-lithium-and-nickel-producers-begin-mass-layoffs-and-pause-multi-billion-dollar-projects-as-us-says-no-to-electric-car-push\/ar-BB1ixce2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">disaster<\/a> going on with electric vehicles in the United States?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>They are piling up on dealer lots because <a href=\"https:\/\/robertbryce.substack.com\/p\/my-us-senate-testimony-on-epas-ev\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">nobody wants them<\/a> \u2013 even with massive tax breaks and financial incentives to buy them.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Mercedes Benz <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/pre-viral\/2024\/02\/25\/mercedes-benz-scraps-plans-to-make-only-electric-vehicles-due-to-market-conditions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">just scrapped their plans to make electric-only vehicles<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And after spending billions of dollars to develop its own EV, Apple \u2013 the first or second largest company in the world \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/apple-is-shutting-down-its-ev-project-2024-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">has thrown in the towel on EVs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Ford and GM are also scaling back their EV plans big-time, even with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ericpetersautos.com\/2024\/02\/20\/bribed-to-buy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">all that money sitting out there<\/a> from the ridiculously-named Inflation Reduction Act.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Is Deere in this subsidy-chasing game too?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Is that what \u201cLeap Ambitions\u201d are really all about?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/business\/autos\/ford-could-get-50-more-profit-without-evs-553ba3c9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ford<\/a>, which <a href=\"https:\/\/robertbryce.substack.com\/p\/ford-lost-47b-on-evs-last-year-or\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lost about $65,000 on each EV it sold last year<\/a>, just halted shipments of the heavy-duty F-150 Lightning.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Heavy vehicles, built to carry and tow heavy loads, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/news\/2024\/feb\/12\/experts-warn-electric-vehicle-weight-threatens-roa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">require extremely heavy batteries<\/a>, to have any worthwhile power and range at all.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Do you think extremely heavy, low range electric tractors will be any different?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d say good luck with that, but I don\u2019t think even luck can overcome the <a href=\"https:\/\/robertbryce.substack.com\/p\/the-power-of-power-density\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a> of <a href=\"https:\/\/robertbryce.substack.com\/p\/the-iron-law-of-power-density-part\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">energy physics<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Please vote <strong>FOR<\/strong> Proposal number 4.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Read NLPC\u2019s shareholder proposal for Deere &amp; Company <a href=\"https:\/\/nlpc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Deere-proposal-sustainability-2024.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Read NLPC\u2019s report filed at the SEC in support of its proposal\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/315189\/000109690624000141\/nlpc_px14a6g.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NLPC Calls Out &#39;#GreenEnergy&#39; Policies at @JohnDeere #annualmeeting &#8230; #Deere #JohnDeere #agriculture #farming #forestry #fossilfuels #climatescam #mining #construction pic.twitter.com\/uLmaS9bQMT &mdash; NLPC (@NLPC) February 29, 2024 On Wednesday, National Legal and Policy Center presented a \u201cCustomer and Company Sustainability Congruency Report\u201d proposal\u00a0at\u00a0Deere &amp; Company\u2018s annual shareholder meeting, which would require the company to explain its support [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":55263,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,7],"tags":[160,537,374,165,538,226],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nlpc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56135"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nlpc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nlpc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nlpc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nlpc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56135"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/nlpc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56135\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56141,"href":"https:\/\/nlpc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56135\/revisions\/56141"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nlpc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nlpc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nlpc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nlpc.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}