As we noted in June, back in the day, when Big Tobacco was under fire, they used a number of tactics aimed to minimize the negative impact of anti-smoking movements and public health concerns. We asked if today’s plastics industry is doing the same thing today, citing recent ads that seem just a little defensive. You can see the ads here, and here.

Backing up this perception is new research published by the Zero Carbon Academy and conducted by shareholder advocacy group As You Sow that gives “almost half of the world’s most valuable companies an ‘F’ grade on their efforts to tackle plastic pollution.” They also note that not a single company scored an “A” grade in this research. The study also warns that most corporations are not on track to meet the goals they have set—action not matching ambition.

The report notes that researchers who reviewed 225 companies noted a significant gap between companies’ stated plastic reduction commitments and the actions being taken to meet them. The research was based on SEC filings, annual reports, and sustainability reports, as well as publicly available data of companies with more than $1 billion in annual revenues.