The Alberta Investment Management Corp. says there has been declining support for shareholder proposals linked to environmental and social factors, while support has increased for governance proposals centred around shareholder rights, according to the investment organization’s latest stewardship report. It cited increased scrutiny of ESG issues as a factor in the decline and noted the AIMCO […]
Imperial Oil Ltd. shareholders have voted against environmental, social and governance-related proposals backed by the Bâtirente and the British Columbia Investment Management Corp. during the company’s annual general meeting. The Bâtirente’s motion called on Imperial Oil to adopt direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets for 2030. If passed, the proposal would have obliged […]
The British Columbia Investment Management Corp. is filing a shareholder proposal calling for Imperial Oil Ltd. to disclose more information about its climate risks. The motion calls for the Canadian petroleum company to disclose its accounting assumptions related to climate change and the energy transition. According to a press release, the BCI’s aim is for […]
A consortium of five New York City defined benefit pension plans has led a successful campaign to launch an external review of labour practices at Starbucks Corp. NYC Retirement Systems, which includes the NYC Board of Education Retirement System, the NYC Fire Pension Fund, the NYC Fire Pension, the NYC Police Pension Fund and the […]
Several European pension plans are backing a lawsuit against Shell Corp. alleging its board is mismanaging climate risk and breaching company law. The lawsuit, launched by U.K.-based climate advocacy organization ClimateEarth, alleges Shell’s board of directors is failing to manage the material and foreseeable risks posed to the company by climate change. It also accuses […]
Jesus had a fractious relationship with the financial sector of his day. For those who work at the intersection of religion and finance, the reverberations of his courtyard scuffle with a group of moneylenders remain the source of controversy. Fortunately for Derek Hurst, manager of the Pension Plan of the United Church of Canada, he […]
One year into a five-year plan to reduce its investments in greenhouse gas-emitting companies by 50 per cent, the Bâtirente is on pace to reach its target. Last year, the defined contribution pension fund announced a number of environmental commitments it intended to reach by 2025, including a pledge to reduce its exposure to climate-related […]
The British Columbia Investment Management Corp. is once again voting against nine proposals supported by the board of China Gas Holdings Ltd., including the re-election of five corporate directors. During its recent annual general meeting, the Hong Kong-based energy company’s management team had requested that investors vote in favour of the re-election of board members […]
While shareholder activism is a hot topic among institutional investors, where hedge funds are concerned, it doesn’t seem to have much impact on investee company profitability, according to a paper by J.B. Heaton, an independent financial economics researcher. Hedge fund activism is a great story, one that investors can wrap their heads around, says Heaton. […]
Can shareholder activists be long-term thinkers?