Stop Google from Hiding its Impact on Water Scarcity as a “Trade Secret”

Google has not yet shared their proxy statement for their upcoming AGM, however based on last years proxy statement investors needed to have held shares by **6 April ** to support this proposal* See below for more information

Our Goal

Our goal is to support As You Sow’s proposal to Alphabet, Google’s parent company, by launching a campaign that allows individuals to invest in a more sustainable future and hold Google accountable for its contribution to global water scarcity by voting at the company’s next shareholder meeting. The proposal requests that Google annually report quantitative water-related metrics by location, including data centres, and for each location, practices implemented to reduce climate-related water risk. A “win” would result in Google being required to issue those annual reports evaluating and disclosing the above-referenced quantitative water-related metrics by location, including for data centres, along with: any location-specific water reduction targets and annual progress in achieving them, location-specific risk assessments and water scarcity planning, any integration of water and company governance mechanisms, and any compensation incentives related to water use reductions. Under the SEC’s new guidance, Google should no longer be able to classify its water usage as a “trade secret” considering that straining local water supplies and contributing to water scarcity is a significant social policy issue that transcends the company’s ordinary business.

Why It’s Important

Climate change is expected to exacerbate water shortages globally. NASA, using an array of satellites, has observed a distinctive pattern of the wet land areas of the world getting wetter and the dry areas in between getting dryer, increasing regional droughts, and resulting in hotspots of groundwater depletion.