Whether and how to regulate proxy advisory firms, such as ISS and Glass Lewis, has long been a contentious issue, with some arguing that their vote recommendations were plagued by conflicts of interest and often erroneous, while others saw no reason for regulation given that the clients of these firms were satisfied with their services.
![]()
| View Original |
The election of at least two activist directors to Exxon Mobil Corp.'s board has been lauded as a landmark victory for climate-change action. But a deeper analysis shows that a board short on industry expertise and lacking a long-term, sustainable business strategy - as reflected in new-debt issuance that exceeded the value of dividends and buybacks in 2020 - may have contributed to Exxon's defeat.
![]()
| View Original |
ESG data is booming. As the global sustainable investment market reaches new heights, so does investor demand for data on companies' environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance.
![]()
| View Original |
The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) today published disclosure requirements for issuers that disclose non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) and other financial measures on a voluntary basis. The rule improves the quality of information provided to investors for various financial measures that commonly lack standardized meaning.
![]()
| View Original |
A Dutch court on Wednesday ruled oil giant Royal Dutch Shell must reduce its carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 from 2019 levels.
![]()
| View Original |
A tiny hedge fund dealt a major blow to Exxon Mobil Corp on Wednesday, unseating at least two board members in a bid to force the company's leadership to reckon with the risk of failing to adjust its business strategy to match global efforts to combat climate change.
![]()
| View Original |
CFOs should create a new agenda around "the three R's": risk, regulation and returns, in an effort to better understand the trade-offs between economic outcomes and broader value outcomes.
![]()
| View Original |
Companies should seize the opportunity to engage with the SEC to help craft efficient and responsive climate change disclosure rules.
![]()
| View Original |
When companies are surprised by activist shareholders it's often because management and the board don't have a good idea of what investors are thinking and what their hot-buttons issues are. Today's CEOs need a new breed of skilled investor relations officer (IRO) to bridge the gap.
![]()
| View Original |