Proxy Preview: Trillium is “Major Player” — Filing 22 ESG Shareholder Resolutions for 2013

Proxy Preview, which is a collaboration between As You Sow, The Sustainable Investments Institute and Proxy Impact, provides an overview of upcoming votes on environmental and social shareholder resolutions—including advocacy sections for 2013´s most prominent issues.

The report notes that as of February 15, 2013, “Investors have filed a total of 365 shareholder resolutions on environmental and social issues, which is more than they had at this point in 2012, when the tally stood at only 345. Political spending resolutions continue to dominate the agenda, totaling one-third of all the proposals filed so far. Resolutions concerning climate and energy, other environmental issues, and sustainable governance (including reporting) combined make up about equal parts of another 38% of the total. Human rights and decent work proposals make up a modest 8%, although some of these concerns are folded into the sustainability reporting requests. Proponents continue to promote board diversity and the need for board oversight of several different issues, accounting for another 6%, while employment diversity— mostly related to equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people—make up a further 6%. The final 9% is a grab-bag, with notably far fewer on animal welfare than in 2012…

Proposals often have many co-filers with one lead, or primary, filer. The following is based on the primary filers for this year’s social and environmental resolutions. Socially responsible investors (SRIs) make investment decisions based on a company’s social, environmental, and governance performance, as well as its financial returns. Over the last few years SRIs have gradually become the largest filers of shareholder resolutions. This year they are the primary filers of 104 resolutions, representing 29% of those filed. Leading this year’s effort are Trillium Asset Management (22 proposals), Calvert Investments (19), and Walden Asset Management (17). Many SRI firms, like other types of proponents, work in concert with others and have co-filed proposals, too…”

The complete report can be downloaded at www.proxypreview.org.