Company: SOJE
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0000092122-25-000036
Chunk: 104

Company: SOUTHERN CO
Filing Date: 2025-04-11
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 104
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 to our service territories. These processes include extensive engagement with stakeholders (including regulators, customers and communities), reflect those stakeholders’ perspectives, and, in many instances, require formal approval by state regulators. Southern also engages with stockholders on these issues. Moreover, our fleet transition strategy and decarbonization goals are subject to extensive and independent oversight by our Board and its committees.

We believe the separate report sought by the proposal is unnecessary and would be a needless use of corporate resources because Southern already provides regular public disclosures that address the topics identified in the proposal. For example, information about our fleet transition strategy is included in annual filings with the SEC and in information posted on our corporate website. Our disclosures describe Southern’s progress toward – and potential challenges to – meeting our emissions reductions goals. The IRPs filed by our operating subsidiaries with their respective state regulators are also publicly available and include information regarding our planned generation fleet and energy mix for each of those jurisdictions. Our website disclosures include a summary of our policy engagement and advocacy, our policies and practices for political engagement, an annual report disclosing political engagement expenditures and a list of trade associations and other organizations of which Southern or its subsidiaries are members that may advocate on climate-related topics.

Accordingly, because Southern has robust oversight processes and already provides the information requested by this proposal, the separate, specific report sought by this proposal would be duplicative and of no added value to stockholders.

| The Board recommends a voteAGAINSTthe proposal. |

Item 8: Report on Respecting Workforce Civil Liberties

Inspire Investing, LLC, 3597 E. Monarch Sky Lane, Suite 330, Meridian, Idaho 83646, on behalf of Kevin L. Knipe, 23 Stiles Drive, Marysville, Pennsylvania 17053, holder of 30 shares of Southern Company common stock, submitted the following proposal.

Supporting Statement:

Southern Company is one of the largest utility companies in the United States and employs over 27,000 people. As a major employer, Southern Company should respect the free speech and religious freedom of its employees. Southern Company is legally required to comply with many laws prohibiting discrimination against employees on a variety of factors, including religion and sometimes political affiliation.

Respecting diverse views also allows Southern Company to attract the most qualified talent , promote a healthy and innovative business culture, serve its diverse customer base, and contribute to a healthy economic market and marketplace of ideas.

Despite this, the 2024 edition of the Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index 1 found that 91% of