ESG & DE&I

Stewardship researcher on the questions that have come out of the ‘big think’ on ESG and bridging the gap between values and investment ‘For me, summer reading lists often start with big intentions and end with much less ambitious actions. A bit like New Year’s resolutions – or even investment stewardship on climate,’ writes Lindsey Stewart, director of stewardship research and policy at Morningstar, in his most recent LinkedIn newsletter. In it, he talks about everything from the power of proxy advisers to questioning the number of ESG proposals in the most recent proxy season, as well as offering up…

Companies have abandoned sustainability initiatives but the tide could turn It was former British prime minister Harold Wilson who coined the phrase ‘a week is a long time in politics’. The past seven days have certainly proved that to be true. But the impact of whoever wins the race for the White House later this year will certainly be felt in the capital markets for decades to come. Indeed, the ongoing repercussions of Donald Trump’s first term as US president are still reverberating through listed companies. Earlier this week, the Financial Times ran a story claiming that US firms are…

NYU Stern Business School professor, summer must-have author and LinkedIn influencer on the problems with ESG and the big questions that still need to be answered Earlier this year, Alison Taylor, clinical professor at NYU Stern Business School, published a book titled Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World – a title that made it onto the Financial Times’ best summer books list for 2024. She talks to Governance Intelligence sister publication IR Magazine at a time when ESG – an area of expertise for Taylor – has become turbulent indeed. Where companies once…

ISSB’s new standards could have significant impact on climate-related disclosures Director training and education is one of the keys to ensuring boards can fulfill their duties while adapting to changing circumstances affecting the company. Corporate secretaries and other governance professionals play the central role in planning for necessary information to be passed to the board, either from themselves or through in-house or external advisers. There’s no one-size-fits all approach but there are important lessons to help the board succeed and avoid potential problems. An effective director training program helps create a foundation for a high-functioning board that can oversee risk…

Buy-siders and corporates offer views on evolution of ESG landscape and what it means for business Governance, sustainability and leading IR professionals, gathered at the IR Magazine ESG Integration Forum – Summer in New York last week to share their views and expertise on ESG issues facing US companies and their investors today. One of the sessions considered how attitudes around ESG are changing, the reasons behind the change and what it means for publicly listed companies. Steven Wade, head of content at IR Magazine, was joined by Cara Mia Manzella, manager of ESG program at Ominicell, Shanu Mathew, senior…

Governance Intelligence sister publication IR Magazine speaks to Schroders’ Marina Severinovsky ahead of the ESG Integration Forum – Summer Investors’ expectations around ESG factors have always been multifaceted. And with regulations and guidelines for ESG disclosure becoming more stringent there is evidence attitudes are changing around ESG that will affect how shareholders make their voting and investment decisions in the future. Ahead of the upcoming ESG Integration Forum – Summer, taking place in New York on June 27, Governance Intelligence sister publication IR Magazine spoke to Marina Severinovsky, head of sustainability for the Americas at asset management firm Schroders, who…

Resolution seeks independent audit A shareholder proposal seeking a report on warehouse working conditions received the backing of almost a third of votes at Amazon.com’s AGM last week. The proposal, filed by Tulipshare Capital, requests that Amazon’s board ‘commission an independent audit and report of the working conditions and treatment that Amazon warehouse workers face, including the impact of its policies, management, performance metrics and targets.’ It was backed by 31.2 percent of votes cast – not a majority but a level of support governance experts generally regard as significant. Tulipshare writes in its supporting statement: ‘Investigative reports allege a…

Resolution seeks information on policy’s effectiveness in various places, including Ukraine The Wendy’s Company is promoting chief legal officer (CLO) EJ Wunsch to become president of the company’s international business, effective June 17. According to a Wendy’s spokesperson, Wunsch will continue as CLO while transitioning to the firm’s international business until a successor is hired, for which an external search is underway. Wunsch has been CLO since joining Wendy’s in 2016. In that role he has been involved in initiatives across Australia, Asia, Europe and South America. Before joining Wendy’s, he spent 17 years at The Procter & Gamble Company…

More than a third of votes back resolution seeking greenhouse gas reduction targets Kristina Fink has joined CVS Health as senior vice president, chief governance officer and corporate secretary. She joins the firm following seven years at American Express, most recently as vice president, corporate secretary and chief governance officer. She led a team providing governance support to the American Express National Bank, its committees and global subsidiaries, and was a member of the general counsel’s organization and the company’s ESG steering committee. She had earlier held the titles of director, senior corporate governance counsel and assistant secretary, then vice…