Environmental, Social & Governance Briefs

As part of a research project on board-shareholder engagement practices, The Conference Board and Rutgers Law School are conducting a confidential survey of corporate secretaries, general counsel, and chief legal officers.

So, what’s on the mind of our institutional owners? First, an overriding concern with capital structures that limit or eliminate voting rights of “common” shareholders.

At the spring meeting of The Conference Board’s Global CSR & Philanthropy Council, the group closely considered their next steps with regard to the SDGs. Members had provocative discussions stimulated by various guest speakers from organizations such as the United Nations Foundation, US-ASEAN Business Council, The Conference Board, and Palladium.

Employees who serve on nonprofit boards play a vital role in helping to achieve the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet, many companies do not include nonprofit board service in reports of volunteering for the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Companies need to recognize the valuable participation by their employees in advancing nonprofits and the SDGs through board service.

Jeff Gramm is co-founder and portfolio manager at the hedge fund Bandera Partners. Gramm, who co-founded the hedge fund with Greg Bylinsky in 2006, also serves as a director on the boards of two companies. He shared his thoughts about the corporate director job with Gary Larkin, Governance Center Blog editor.

This month the EU parliament approved a provisional agreement revising six pieces of EU legislation on waste. The legislation is part of the EU’s Circular Economy Package, a policy initiative aimed at advancing the practice of “recycle, repair and re-use” and waste avoidance. A new report provides more details on these and other recent developments related to the EU Circular Economy Package, including some of the key implications for companies.

Immigration has long been a political battleground, but in recent years it has taken on even more significance. Stronger rhetoric from the White House and leanings in favor of a stricter immigration policy have caused concern among immigrant populations around the country. In opposition to the federal stance, many cities have sought out programs to protect immigrants from deportation and to support their transition into American society. And companies have lent their support to these efforts.

The CAQ has published a free, full report, Non-GAAP Measures: A Roadmap for Audit Committees, on findings from recent roundtables, as well as a companion video that provides additional context and real-life examples of how audit committees are thinking about non-GAAP measures.

An increasing number of studies point towards a strong positive correlation between ESG and financial performance. Whilst this has contributed to an increase in responsible investing, one of the implications of this has been the growth in the ESG rating and rankings initiatives.