PEPSICO, INC. | Report on risks related to biodiversity and nature loss at Pepsico, Inc.

Status
AGM passed
AGM date
Previous AGM date
Proposal number
9
Resolution details
Company ticker
PEP
Resolution ask
Conduct due diligence, audit or risk/impact assessment
ESG theme
  • Environment
ESG sub-theme
  • Biodiversity / nature
Type of vote
Shareholder proposal
Filer type
Shareholder
Company sector
Consumer Staples
Company HQ country
United States
Resolved clause
Resolved: Shareholders request that PepsiCo complete a material biodiversity dependency and impact assessment and issue
a corresponding public report to identify the extent to which the company’s supply chains and operations are vulnerable to
risks associated with biodiversity loss.
Whereas clause
Whereas: Biodiversity loss is a global systemic risk. Investors and governments worldwide are increasingly acting to address
the impacts and dependencies of economic activity on natural systems. At the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in 2022,
190 countries agreed to take steps to prevent biodiversity loss. The resulting Global Biodiversity Framework calls on businesses
to assess and disclose biodiversity dependencies, impacts and risks, and reduce negative impacts.
Pepsi’s 10-K acknowledges that “any failure to achieve or properly report on our goals with respect to reducing our impact on
the environment or perception of a failure to act responsibly with respect to the environment ... can lead to adverse-publicity,
which could result in reduced demand for our products, damage to our reputation or increase the risk of litigation.”
Failure to comprehensively assess its natural capital dependencies and ultimately mitigate their impacts on the company may
expose PepsiCo to unnecessary risk:

• Systemic risk: More than half of the world’s GDP is either moderately or highly dependent on nature’s services, and the
Food and Beverages industry depends on natural services for $1.4 trillion of value generation. By some estimates, tens of
billions of dollars in assets could be at risk of stranding over the next five to ten years1

• Financial risk: Financial institutions with US $8.7 trillion AUM have committed to eliminate agricultural-commodity-driven
deforestation from their portfolios by 2025. As an increasing number of asset managers incorporate such nature-related risk
into investment decision making, PepsiCo must assess and mitigate activities leading to biodiversity loss in its supply chain or
risk becoming uninvestable.
• Regulatory risk: The recently adopted European Sustainability Reporting Standards include mandatory reporting of
biodiversity and ecosystem impacts and risks,3
and mandatory biodiversity reporting in line with Taskforce on Nature-related
Financial Disclosure (TNFD) is under discussion in the UK4
. The International Sustainability Standards Board is reviewing the
work of the TNFD as it considers developing natured-based disclosures5

While PepsiCo has developed a number of commendable sustainability Initiatives, it has not undertaken a systematic review
of its dependencies and impacts on biodiversity and natural capital. Without a comprehensive assessment of the company’s
biodiversity impacts, dependencies, risks, and opportunities to inform its policies, PepsiCo may subject itself to unnecessary
systemic, regulatory, and financial risk.
Supporting statement
Supporting Statement: In completing this assessment and report, proponents defer to management’s discretion but
recommend considering the guidance of standard-setting bodies such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures
and Science Based Targets for Nature.

How other organisations have declared their voting intentions

Organisation name Declared voting intentions Rationale
Allianz Global Investors For AllianzGI believes that biodiversity-related risks should be included in regular risk assessments and risk management when financially material to the company. This expectation is now included in our Global Corporate Governance Guidelines. Related to this, AllianzGI expects companies to conduct a biodiversity assessment, adopt appropriate risk management strategies and report on progress regularly, whether as a standalone report or within their existing set of disclosures.

Biodiversity has been one of our focus themes for engagement since 2022. PepsiCo acknowledges that biodiversity loss is a relevant issue for their business activities and report on ongoing efforts. However, with this vote we wish to indicate that we expect to see further progress with the companies’ biodiversity impact and dependency assessments. It is an important next step for their strategy advancement and will hopefully include more ambitious targets to meaningfully address biodiversity loss and drive positive change. We consider this is in our interest as shareholders to improve our ability to assess associated risks.
LocalTapiola Asset Management Ltd For A vote FOR this proposal is warranted, as further disclosures would help shareholders assess how the company is managing related risks associated with biodiversity loss as well as adequately track progress on these issues.
Rothschild & co Asset Management For
AP7 For

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