Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ report Wednesday on the company’s environmental policies had an immediate effect. Thursday, an institutional investor announced it would withdraw its proposal that the company inform shareholders of its efforts to eliminate toxic chemicals from its products and manufacturing processes. The proposal was one of two environmental policy resolutions Apple shareholders were due to vote on at the company’s annual meeting next week.
In a statement, Trillium Asset Management praised Jobs for making Cupertino-based Apple’s environmental policies more “transparent.” The investment group also lauded Apple’s chief executive for committing to eliminate brominated flame retardants and polyvinyl chloride plastics – two particularly notorious chemicals – by 2008 and to phase out use of other harmful substances.
San Francisco-based As You Sow Foundation, which helped put together a second shareholder resolution that would require Apple to report on recycling electronic waste, has not decided whether to withdraw its proposal, an organization representative said. Apple has opposed both proposals.
Contact Troy Wolverton at (408) 920-5021 or twolverton@mercurynews.com.
