Siemens wind turbines operate on a wind farm in Marshalltown, Iowa, where many of Berkshire's first big renewable investments were made over the past decade as the former MidAmerican Energy under now-Berkshire Energy was well situated in one of the nation's top wind corridors.'s climate record is back in the news – and activists are still not happy.conglomerate faces three different shareholder resolutions heading into its annual "Woodstock for capitalism" on May 6.
"It's fair to say that for their size, the breadth and complexity of their business, that their approach to climate change continues to lag behind peers," CFRA Research analyst Cathy Seifert said. "They could be front and center, but I don't think they will be." That's still not as much as some other utilities have done, and Berkshire has been either less aggressive or less specific in its commitments to bring down carbon emissions, said Daniel Stewart, energy and climate program manager for As You Sow, a shareholder-advisory group sponsoring a resolution at Berkshire's meeting.
Three resolutions — one each sponsored by California's pension plan, Illinois' pension plan, and As You Sow — cover the topic. And CalPERS asked for "an annual assessment addressing how the Company manages physical and transitional climate-related risks and opportunities," the proxy says. The giant pension fund has also voted early against management's nominees to the board's audit committee, citing climate issues.