Marc Treviño, co-head of S&C’s corporate governance practice, spoke to the Financial Times about the unprecedented level of investor support for ESG petitions at companies worldwide over the past year.
Citing S&C’s research from the 2021 proxy season, the FT noted that a record 12 proposals on environmental issues at U.S. companies in 2021 were passed with a majority of shareholder support. The average level of shareholder support for all environmental and social petitions, the FT reports, increased to a record 34 percent in the twelve-month period leading up to July 2021.
Marc told the FT that boards are generally aware of the activism environment and are taking steps to ensure they are not caught unaware when activists knock at their door. “Forward-thinking companies have been preparing for these continued discussions by putting together better and more disclosure,” he said, adding that engaging with investors over ESG proposals “will be the number-one issue of the 2022 season.” To read the full article, click here.
To read S&C’s 2021 Proxy Season Review, click here.