Shareholder Advocacy 101: A Primer on Active Ownership

From dismantling apartheid in South Africa to encouraging equal treatment for gay and lesbian workers, from convincing corporations to address climate change to pressuring financial institutions to drop their predatory lending practices, shareholders around the world are using their economic power to encourage corporate responsibility. Shareholder votes on social and environmental issues are receiving historically high levels of support. In order to be resubmitted for consideration by shareholders in the coming year, resolutions need to receive at least 3% support in their first year, at least 6% in their second year, and at least 10% in their third year of facing a vote. The 2013 proxy season marked a ten-year high for proxy votes on social and environmental issues, which received 21% support on average.