As pension plans are engaging more often as active shareholders, some companies are beginning to chafe. One instance of pushback came after the the New York State Common Retirement Fund co-sponsored a proposal with the Church of England’s endowment fund requesting that Exxon Mobil Corp. include short-, medium- and long-term greenhouse gas reduction targets aligned with […]
The Shareholder Association for Research and Education is joining the College of Applied Arts and Technology’s new DBPlus pension plan. “As a small, non-profit organization, it’s difficult for us to access the kinds of plans that have traditionally been available to larger organizations,” says Kevin Thomas, executive director of the SHARE. “So, like other non-profits, […]
Sustainalytics, a research, ratings and analytics firm focusing on environmental, social and governance issues, is acquiring GES International, a provider of engagement, screening and fiduciary voting services to institutional investors. As ESG has become a more prominent part of institutional investing decisions, the combination of Sustainalytics’ materiality-focused ESG research and ratings with the services GES provides […]
A debate on the viability of responsible investing is bubbling underneath the reaction to a recent U.S. Senate bill, aiming to further regulate proxy voting firms. Proxy voting firms help institutional investors complete shareholder votes, analyzing data and establishing votes that are reflective of a fund’s house views, while incorporating an increasing universe of potential […]
Can shareholder activists be long-term thinkers?
New SEC rules will have little impact on corporate governance.