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As we’re approaching the 26th Annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, we’ve taken a closer look at climate and other environmental shareholder proposals in 2021 – and what we might expect next year.
We’re tracking and reporting on these – and other – shareholder voting trends at Russell 3000 firms in partnership with ESG data analytics firm ESGAUGE, leadership advisory and search firm Russell Reynolds Associates, and Rutgers University’s Center for Corporate Law and Governance.
Here are some of the key observations about environmental proposals in 2021:
What does it mean for 2022?
Companies should anticipate a sustained push, not only on climate issues but also on broader environmental topics, including plastic pollution and deforestation, through engagement and shareholder proposals. The number of say-on-climate proposals will likely increase, given the relatively strong support for such proposals this year.
Shareholder activism will continue beyond shareholder proposals, especially after the successful proxy fight against ExxonMobil. Other tactics, such as vote-no campaigns against directors, are also likely to increase in volume as a result of proxy advisors and investors updating their proxy voting guidelines and policies this year to hold directors accountable for ESG oversight failures.
In order to avoid shareholder activism on these issues, CEOs and their boards may want to consider: (1) providing more detailed disclosure of the company's GHG emissions governance, strategy, risk mitigation efforts, including a capital expenditure program in line with its GHG reduction targets; and (2) demonstrating that the company is enhancing performance and its disclosure (even if it is not yet in line with peers or with Paris Agreement goals).
If you’d like to learn more about specific environmental proposals and their outcomes or drill down on other vote results, I encourage you to sign up for a demo of the ESG Advantage Shareholder Voting Screening Tool. It lets you generate customized reports on shareholder and management proposals based on topic, proponent, outcome, and company from 2018 through the current proxy season in the full Russell 3000. Best of all, with a single click, you can see the text of the proposal and the vote results — no need to navigate multiple filings or databases.
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