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 […]
The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan is enhancing its climate change strategy to achieve net-zero emissions in its portfolio by 2050. By 2025, the HOOPP expects 80 per cent of its assets to provide reported emissions. It will also initiate a scope 3 portfolio emissions measurement and exclude new direct investments in private thermal coal […]
Responsible investing covers a spectrum between simple exclusion practices to environmental, social and governance integration to thematic and impact investing, said Les Marton, managing director of bfinance Canada Inc., while moderating a panel discussion at the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2022 Risk Management Conference. The two panellists — Karen Lockridge, director of ESG investing at the […]
Several of Canada’s largest pension funds have backed a proposal requesting that Amazon.com Inc. review how its actions against ongoing union organizing efforts align with its stated commitment to freedom of association and collective bargaining. The proposal by the Shareholder Association for Research and Education and the Catherine Donnelly Foundation was supported by the Alberta […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is expanding the number of countries in which it will apply its most stringent board gender diversity proxy voting rules. “We have enhanced our gender diversity voting practice by expanding the countries where our 30 per threshold for female representation applies to include South Africa and New Zealand,” said […]
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. […]
The Shareholder Association for Research and Education has filed multiple shareholder proposals related to decent work and expects to file more, with the aim of bringing this focus higher up North American companies’ corporate agendas. The term ‘decent work’ is used by the United Nations and the International Labour Organization, says Shannon Rohan, director of […]