UN-ESG

Exxon Board Election could be Based on BlackRock’s Climate Goals

May 24, 2021

As the May 26th election for Exxon’s 12 directors approaches, top asset manager BlackRock (BLK.N) could determine the outcome of a proxy fight between Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) and a hedge fund seeking to reshape the oil giant's board and future direction, including setting a course to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius by 2050.
Bloomberg: ISS Says Amazon Investors Should Vote for Racial Audit

May 19, 2021

Institutional Shareholder Services Inc (ISS) is encouraging Amazon.com Inc. investors to vote in favor of an independent racial audit of the world’s largest online retailer, including its impacts on civil rights, equity, diversity and inclusion, and how those issues affect Amazon’s business.
Facebook Oversight Board: International Human Rights Tribunal?

May 17, 2021

Following the Trump ban decision, many similarities have been revealed between the Facebook Oversight Board to an international human rights tribunal, such as the European Court of Human Rights, potentially impacting set standards and due diligence for social media companies in the future.
National Law Review: SEC to Focus on ESG

May 11, 2021

The Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) has recently signaled that climate issues are a priority going forward, including in establishing it’s 2021 examination priorities; which include an enhanced focus on climate-related and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues and the creation of a Climate and ESG Task Force.
New Climate Initiatives to Put Pressure on Boards

May 04, 2021

On Earth Day 2021 two separate initiatives were announced that will likely to increase the pressure on boards to recognize climate as a significant enterprise risk and to more closely monitor management’s engagement on climate matters including President Biden’s commitment that the United States would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by the end of the decade.
USA Today: FB Oversight Board will Allow Users to File Appeals over Content

April 19, 2021

Facebook’s oversight board has announced that it will begin letting individual users file appeals over posts, photos, and videos that they think the company should not allow on its platforms.
Axios: CEO’s Plan Political Involvement in State Voting Debates

April 14, 2021

Top CEOs and executives from businesses including Levi Strauss, LinkedIn and Delta met over a ZOOM summit to discuss a plan to get tougher on state legislators over new voting restrictions by withdrawing campaign contributions and retracting investments.
PwC: Should Executive Pay be Linked to ESG

April 12, 2021

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues become a strategic pillar in a growing number of companies, PwC, along with the London School of Economics has created a report on the benefits and potential negatives of paying executives based on ESG performance.
JDSupra: ESG Litigation in Europe

April 07, 2021

JDSupra has published a paper describing the significant rise of ESG litigation in Europe over the last decade as well as the causes of the recent spike in the EU and UK.
China is Becoming a Risk For Western Companies

April 05, 2021

Companies increasingly weigh the risk of doing business with Beijing as public concern mounts over human rights violations in the Chinese region of Xinjiang.