Support from the world’s preeminent asset managers for shareholder proposals concentrating on environmental and social concerns has plummeted to an unprecedented nadir in 2023. This steep decline is predominantly attributable to Anglo-Saxon entities.
According to the comprehensive 97-page “Voting Matters 2023” research report by ShareAction, a UK-based organisation championing a more sustainable investment industry, «The world’s foremost asset managers are increasingly turning their backs on humanity and the environment, evidenced by the most disheartening voting results to date.» The report scrutinises the voting patterns of the 69 largest asset managers globally.
Particularly striking is the downturn in support for environmental-related shareholder resolutions; a mere three percent of these were ratified last year. This represents a significant decline from the preceding two years, where 14 percent and 21 percent of resolutions were approved in 2022 and 2021, respectively. In 2020, 16 percent of such resolutions gained approval. For social resolutions, ShareAction observed a descent in majority support from 15 percent in the previous year to a mere 4 percent in 2023, the report elucidates.
In contrast, for ordinary resolutions and special resolutions - aimed at amending a company’s articles of association - the ratification rate exceeded 50 and 75 percent, respectively.
‘Big Four’ support declining
The report highlights a marked decrease in support from the «Big Four» asset managers - BlackRock, Fidelity Investments, Vanguard, and State Street. For environmental-related shareholder resolutions, their backing diminished from 39 percent in 2021 to just 14 percent in 2023. A similar decline was observed in social resolutions, plummeting from 29 percent to 13 percent.
Shareholder proposals, such as those demanding reporting on human rights risks in major retailers› supply chains, including TK Maxx, faced rejection by these influential asset managers, ShareAction reveals.
BlackRock, the globe’s largest asset manager, endorsed merely 8 percent of environmental and social shareholder resolutions in 2023, a steep decline from the 40 percent in 2021.
Vanguard, the second-largest asset manager worldwide, showed the most tepid performance among the Big Four, supporting only three percent of resolutions in 2023. All four voted more conservatively than the recommendations of leading proxy advisers ISS and Glass Lewis.
Europe vs America
A contrasting trend is visible among European asset managers, where an average of 88 percent supported environmental and social issues proposals, starkly contrasting with their American counterparts, who averaged support for only 25 percent of such resolutions.
The highest-ranked US entity is Federated Hermes, situated at position 28, a Pittsburgh-based asset manager overseeing in excess of 715 billion dollars. Among the 20 lowest-ranking asset managers, 15 are American, with the remainder hailing from the UK.
The Dutch asset manager with the scantest support for sustainable shareholder proposals is APG Asset Management, supporting 87 percent of sustainable proposals and ranking at position 24. Five Dutch entities, including Achmea IM, PGGM, MN, Robeco, and Aegon Asset Management, are among the top 12.
Climate Action 100+ paradox
The report also uncovers that asset managers, who have pledged allegiance to the Climate Action 100+ initiative for environmental protection, simultaneously spurned resolutions beneficial to this cause, as per ShareAction’s findings.
“This increasingly lends credence to the notion of greenwashing, with asset managers facing accusations of projecting an eco-friendly façade while failing to undertake substantive actions,” the report said.
In response to inquiries from Investment Officer, a BlackRock spokesperson stated, “BlackRock continues to assess the new Climate Action 100+ strategy in alignment with our fiduciary responsibility to clients. We shall formulate our response during the review period set forth by Climate Action 100+ for its signatories.”
Claudia Gray, head of financial sector research at ShareAction, highlighted the grave implications of this waning support. Global endeavours addressing critical issues such as climate change and social disparity will encounter formidable challenges without the backing of asset managers, she said.
Further reading:
- Jan van Eck: ESG investments require political intervention
- ‘World’s biggest asset managers block ESG progress’
- EU voting rights plan lacks balance, Efama says