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 […]
A group of institutional investors is voicing concerns about the rise of virtual-only shareholder meetings they say risk eroding shareholder democracy. In an open letter released Thursday, the coalition of 38 investors led by the B.C. General Employees’ Union called on S&P/TSX 60 companies to publicly disclose how they’ll ensure shareholders’ statutory and common law […]
At a time of uncertainty caused by the coronavirus crisis, active ownership is more important than ever, says Kevin Thomas, chief executive officer of the Shareholder Association for Research and Education. Many organizations are trying to influence companies and policy-makers, and those voices matter, he notes. “You don’t want to be sitting on the sidelines.” […]
The debate surrounding how institutional investors use proxy voting is heating up. The contention hinges on guidance the Securities and Exchange Commission released earlier this year on the activities of proxy-advisory firms. It says that when proxy-advisory firms provide proxy-voting advice to their investor clients, it counts as proxy solicitations. That, in turn, means those […]