A group of institutional investors has called on companies to assess and report their climate-related risks within their annual report to shareholders, in the interests of prudent and long-term capital stewardship. The position paper has been signed by Natasha Landell-Mills, head of stewardship at Sarasin & Partners; Councillor Kieran Quinn, chair of the Local Authority Pension Fund […]
Read MoreCampaigners from the pressure group, Campaign against the Arms Trade (CAAT), which is calling for the UK to stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia, took their fight to the BAE Systems AGM last Wednesday. CAAT had bought shares in the company allowing campaigners to attend the AGM. The protestors held placards up protesting against Saudi Arabia’s […]
Read More…as the UK’s Financial Reporting Council finalises auditor rules The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has published final drafts of the latest UK corporate governance code and the associated guidance on audit committees so they will meet the requirements of forthcoming legislation on audit committees and auditor appointments. This forms part of the UK’s implementation of the EU’s […]
Read MoreThe 2016 AGM season started with major defeats for two FTSE100 companies. Last Thursday (14th April) oil giant BP and medical equipments supplier, Smith & Nephew saw their remuneration reports rejected by shareholders at their AGMs. At the BP AGM there was a 59% vote against the remuneration report and at Smith & Nephew 53% of shareholder votes […]
Read MoreInvestors vote on the first of three shareholder resolutions proposed at Rio Tinto, Anglo American and Glencore AGMs this week calling for reporting by these mining companies into how they are managing carbon emissions and investing in low-carbon energy research and development. Rio Tinto at its AGM last Thursday (14th April) was the first company […]
Read MoreRailpen veteran, Frank Curtiss, who was most recently been its head of corporate governance, has retired. The pension fund has been at the forefront of active institutional investment and was one of the first to vote actively on its equity holdings in the UK and published a voting and corporate governance policy in 1992. Curtiss joined Railpen in […]
Read MoreThe Investment Association (IA) has published an industry-wide Productivity Action Plan which it believes will boost the UK economy through long-term investment, helping to reverse the UK’s productivity problem. The action plan aims to encourage the provision of more long-term finance for companies and enhance investor stewardship. The proposals were developed by a steering committee made up of […]
Read MoreThe UK’s Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has written to institutional investors highlighting the key issues they should be considering ahead of the peak season of company shareholder meetings. The letter from Stephen Hadrill, FRC chief executive, reminded investors that this is the first year of enhanced reporting on risk and internal control and the inclusion of a […]
Read MoreThe first-ever ranking of the world’s largest publicly listed companies on their human rights performance, the Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (CHRB) has been launched beginning with a pilot benchmark process. The final scores will be available in November this year. The 2016 pilot benchmark will rank the top 100 companies in the agricultural products, apparel, and extractive industries using […]
Read MoreHong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has introduced voluntary principles to provide guidance on how investors should fulfil their ownership responsibilities when investing in Hong Kong listed companies. The SFC has published revised principles and responded to a consultation it held last year on its Principles of Responsible Ownership. Investors who choose not to adopt these principles are encouraged […]
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