AGM season is where pen meets paper and is a chance for Van Lanschot Kempen to cast votes in alignment with our commitments. This season we’ve been active on climate transition at energy firms, human rights at Alphabet (Google) and governance in sectors from e-bikes to animal feed. Lead Expert Sustainability Advisory, Eszter Vitorino, discusses the justification behind Van Lanschot Kempen’s actions this AGM season, and the changes that were sought out.
The conclusions of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Climate Change 2022 Report underlined that swift and decisive action is needed, from both private and public sectors, if we are to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.
In other words, business as usual cannot continue: ‘if global warming transiently exceeds 1.5°C in the coming decades or later, then many human and natural systems will face additional severe risks, compared to remaining below 1.5°C’ (UN IPCC, 2022, p.29).
We at Van Lanschot Kempen are strongly committed to our Real Active approach, emphasizing stewardship through ongoing engagements with companies and through voting. We were keen to reflect this urgency this AGM season, using our voting rights to hold companies accountable – especially on climate - in order to accelerate the transition to net zero.