The groundbreaking legal case has changed the game for how Australia’s $3 trillion superannuation industry invests, and how members are protected from climate risk.
We want to to believe in the power of shareholder activism, but reality is another thing.
Large shareholders are increasingly being criticised for not pressuring company boards enough to be more socially and environmentally responsible.
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High CEO compensation angers the public, particularly when it doesn’t seemed tied to performance. But as a whole, trends in executive compensation are consistent with fundamental economic forces.
A breakthrough resolution on Rio Tinto’s climate stance has received a strong vote at the company’s AGM.
AAP Image/Andy Brownbill
The shareholder resolution on climate change at Rio Tinto’s AGM is another indication of how much investor culture is tilting towards demanding that companies take a responsible climate stance.
The Facebook CEO has promised to ‘do better’.
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Zuckerberg’s control over the way Facebook is run far outstrips his shareholdings. That can be a problem when scandals hit.
It’s possible that CBA’s willingness to admit as much of its conduct as it has, signals the bank might resolve the class action through a settlement.
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External pressure has led to delivery giant, Hermes, being referred to the chief tax man over whether or not its workers should be classified as ‘self-employed’.
It used to be outside actors like NGOs and governments that forced companies to be environmentally friendly. But some are building their brand on their CSR.
Shareholders deserve a greater say in who sits in these seats.
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Common mythology holds that shareholders of public corporations choose who sits on the board of directors. Nothing could be further from the truth. Under the laws of most states, directors are automatically…
Activists have a range of options available to them to voice their anger at a company’s decisions.
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As part of its program to cut red tape and bureaucracy, the Australian government is set to repeal the 100-member rule. The rule contained in the Corporations Act forces a company to hold a general meeting…
The reach of global multinationals like BHP is driving a new wave of shareholder activism.
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Sister Patricia Daly is in for the long haul. Last May, the New Jersey-based Dominican nun and shareholder activist, attended her 15th ExxonMobil annual shareholder meeting, again armed with the same resolution…
It is time for Australian shareholders to push for more action to combat low female representation at board level.
AAP Image/Dean Lewins
The lone lady in a suit is always a matter of interest, whether on a listed company board or in Tony Abbott’s cabinet. Not only does it seem inequitable that women are underrepresented in these influential…
The Fairfax board is one of 22 who have fallen foul of new provisions meant to empower shareholders.
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The era of passive shareholding where investors patiently waited for companies to offer dividends (or simply sold their shares and moved on) is gone forever. Shareholdings are no longer largely distributed…
Executive Director, Australian Institute of Performance Sciences, and Industry Fellow at the Institute of Public Policy and Governance at, University of Technology Sydney