Last week, the Rockefeller family made an historic challenge to Exxon Mobil Corp., the company founded by John D. Rockefeller in 1870 (as Standard Oil), and in which dozens of family members still hold stock. The challenge came in the form of a shareholder resolution to require an independent chairman of Exxon's board of directors, so that the company can better maximize long-term shareholder value in a rapidly changing energy environment. Making the board chair independent of the CEO may seem a technical governance matter, but it has great significance. The family argued that having a board that was independent from the day-to-day operations of company management would enable Exxon to better assess the risks and opportunities that are altering the energy and environmental landscape

Something old is new again. GreenBiz.com, of which I am executive editor, has just relaunched with a new, improved format. The new site — the result of a revamping of the somewhat antiquated technology platform on which the site was originally built in 1999 — now reflects the topics you deal with daily: energy and climate; the various aspects of daily operations, from purchasing to cleaning to fleets; the design of products and packaging; the more efficient use of energy, water, and materials; and the way you communicate all of this through marketing, PR, and reporting. There are also sections for smaller businesses and on green careers. Kudos to the team, headed by Matt Wheeland and Carlie Peterson, for making it all happen. The new look represents the beginning of a forthcoming

The 2008 Shareholder Season Some of the most important voting of the year doesn't involve candidates or political parties. It's taking place between shareholders and the companies they own. It has become an annual rite of spring: a bumper crop of shareholder resolutions filed by activist investors aimed at compelling companies to address any of a wide range of social and environmental issues. This year is no different. A new report on the 2008 season — the majority of companies hold their annual meetings in the spring — has been published by As You Sow (Free download). And while its intended audience are foundations, whose endowments typically include large stock holdings, the report offers insight for anyone interested at the state of the art of shareholder activism. First,

On the eve of the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Bali, two new reports show how tantalizingly able we are to reduce our climate footprint -- and how frustratingly far we are from taking the needed steps to do so.

Ron Jarvis, Home Depot's vice president of Environmental Innovations, sat down with GreenBiz's Joel Makower to discuss the progress made and lessons learned during the first half-year of the retail giant's project to promote eco-friendly products.

Collaborative initiatives bring together companies, investors, and activists to address issues such as online freedom of expression, climate change, and labor rights in the global supply chain, writes SocialFunds.com's Bill Baue.

We've been working long hours behind the scenes to make GreenBiz.com and our sister sites even more useful and information-packed. At last, here it is, and here's what new and improved about the sites.

Social issues are gaining ground among the governance set. More than one-quarter of the 179 social policy proposals voted on by shareholders this year received at least 20 percent support, according to data compiled through August 2006 by Proxy Governance Inc. This compares with just 12 percent of the proposals that received 20 percent support in 2005.

Toyota Motor Corp. plans to sell ethanol-powered vehicles in the United States by 2008, following the lead of domestics General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing an unnamed company executive.

According to author Diane MacEachern, women hold the upper hand in the majority of business and consumer purchasing decisions, and as a result can play a big role in growing the green economy. GreenBiz.com editor Joel Makower spoke with MacEachern about her new book, "The Big Green Purse."

In this interview with Denise Waggoner, the vice president of creative research at Getty Images, Joel Makower finds out what colors and images make consumers think green -- and that not all shades of green are created equal.

For 25 years, the co-founder and "CE-Yo" of Stonyfield Farms, has shown that making yogurt doesn't necessarily require the same old culture. GreenBiz executive editor Joel Makower talked with Hirshberg recently about his new book and how corporations can bring out positive global change.