Itron - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Itron is Medium Risk.

Itron is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. Itron occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Medium Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	Lower Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	Lower Risk
Political Actions	No Data

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Itron promotes divisive sex and gender policies. Its Supplier Code of Conduct requires international vendors to include sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policy (1). However, it has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (2).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Itron does not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs. It supports organizations that “focus on water, energy, sustainability, disaster response and STEM education” (1)(2)(3).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Itron offers DEI training to its employees (1). Itron appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its recruitment and supply chain. From its Itron 2022 ESG Report: It launched the “Diversity Duos Program” to “ensure consistency in [its] diversity recruitment processes” while also continuing to “grow [its] Supplier Diversity Program” (2). Itron protects its employees against viewpoint discrimination (3).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Itron attended multiple diversity events including the TigerPro Night at Clemson University and the 2022 DivHersity Conclave. Conclave in India (1). Itron hosted an inclusive leadership speaker series (2). Itron is committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 (3). Itron supports ESG within its business practices. From its Itron 2022 ESG Report: “Ultimately, responsibility and accountability extend down to the grass-roots level, where ESG is embedded into our operations, our employees’ day-to-day activities and our culture” (4).

Criteria:

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Itron has not used corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (1).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

N/A

Rationale:

Itron does not operate a PAC or report its lobbying at this time (1)(2)(3).