In the United States, the stagnation of shareholder proposals begins to address issues for the next fiscal year | Activist Times | Moneyクリ Monex Securities' investment information and media useful for money.

Environmental and social proposals have significantly declined, while governance proposals remain robust.

The results of shareholder proposals in the field of Environment, Society, and Governance (ESG) for the year 2025 have been compiled. The U.S. nonprofit organization Proxy Preview announced on July 15 that the number of shareholder proposals submitted to Japanese companies during the 2025 shareholder meeting season decreased by 15% year-on-year to 852 proposals. While the decline in the environmental and social sectors is significant, the number of "anti-ESG" proposals, which are critical of ESG, has reached an all-time high, indicating that the political and institutional headwinds surrounding shareholder proposals during the Trump administration remain strong.

Michael Passoff, who led the investigation at Proxy Impact, pointed out that "proposals related to climate change and diversity remain important issues, but their passage has become difficult due to corporate backlash and political pressure." The passage rate for shareholder proposals in the environmental sector has fallen to zero, and the average support rate has decreased from 21% in the previous year to 17%. Proposals for reductions related to Scope 3 (greenhouse gas emissions across the entire value chain) have also seen a decline in both the number of proposals and support rates. In terms of social issues, only two proposals seeking transparency in political donations and lobbying activities were approved. Many proposals were excluded due to opposition from corporations or procedural reasons.

On the other hand, proposals related to corporate governance have remained strong. Relatively many proposals were passed, such as relaxing the requirements for holding special meetings by shareholders and introducing a simple majority system for the appointment of directors. These are seen as proposals that do not directly relate to ESG, which is believed to be a background factor for the relatively low resistance from companies.

Decrease in Shareholder Proposals, Increase in "No Action Requests" Also Affects

During the Trump administration, the operation of no-action letters by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) attracted attention. In the United States, shareholders can request that their proposals be included in the company's proxy statement. However, if the proposals fall under certain conditions, such as those that may violate laws, those aimed at private interests, or those related to the company's ordinary business, the company is allowed not to include them. When a company determines that a shareholder proposal falls under the exclusion criteria, there is a procedure to seek prior confirmation from SEC staff regarding its validity.

According to research presented by Anna Pinedo and other leading experts in U.S. disclosure and securities law at a Harvard Law School forum, approximately 55 no-action letters are expected to be issued in response to anti-ESG proposals by 2025, an increase from about 40 letters the previous year. The SEC has decided to allow around 30 of these (more than half) to be omitted from shareholder proposal resolutions (compared to about 40% the previous year).

These shareholder proposals included the following themes.

  • Greenhouse gas emissions

  • Risk of religious discrimination

・A reward system focused on DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion)

Request for the abolition of the DEI policy

  • Consideration of strategies for holding Bitcoin as corporate assets

Although a similar theme was included in about 25 shareholder proposals that the SEC did not allow to be shortened, the majority of them received less than 2% support. Additionally, on the legal front, the SEC's legal opinion "SLB 14M" released in February has drawn attention. This document has made it easier for proposals that were previously accepted to be excluded. SLB 14M will come into effect during the 2025 season, and critics from the proposing side have raised concerns about it being a "rule change after the fact."

The pressure on proxy advisory firms is also strong

There is increasing pressure in the political arena against shareholder proposals and advisory firms on voting rights. Congressional hearings were held in April and June, with repeated criticisms directed at major proxy advisory firms ISS and Glass Lewis, labeling them as "market-dominant." Additionally, there have been numerous legal objections from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) regarding climate and cybersecurity risk disclosure regulations, and the movement towards deregulation continues.

There is growing attention on emerging fields such as the ethical use of AI, children's online safety, and biodiversity risks. Mr. Pasof from Proxy Impact stated, "These themes could become central to proposals as the next frontier of ESG investment," encouraging a shift in strategy from proposers. Going forward, long-term engagement with companies and proposal designs that are easier to support will be key. The maintenance and expansion of mechanisms to reflect shareholders' voices are being called into question.

ESG3.34%
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· 07-22 13:59
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