Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations have hovered on the periphery of the public conscious (and the minds of policy drivers and investment managers) for several decades. However, recently their importance has taken center stage with the convergence of several related developments, especially: A growth in support for Green political parties Enhanced social media coverage…
Category: international corporate governance
Work and Pensions Committee to examine impact of pension freedoms and protecting pension savers – News from Parliament – UK Parliament
We have been skeptical and critical of the shift from defined benefit to defined contribution pension plans. The entire idea of pension plans was to protect the retirement income security of working people by having their savings managed by expert professionals subject to the highest requirements of diligence and loyalty. What has been characterized as…
CPP Investments Sustainable Investing Policy: Update Reinforces ESG Role in Long-Term Value Creation | CPP Investments
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) has published an updated Policy on Sustainable Investing, reflecting its increased conviction in the importance of considering environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks and opportunities amid an increasingly competitive corporate operating environment. Integrating ESG factors, including climate change, into investment analysis and asset management activities supports the organization’s…
25% gender quota introduced for Greek companies | Minerva-Manifest
Greek companies will soon be mandated to meet a 25% female quota on their boards following a landmark decision for gender diversity. The quota requirement has been included as an amendment to the bill transposing the EU Shareholder Rights Directive II (SRD II) into Greek law, and is the result of a consultation led by…
SEC Report: U.S. Investors’ Exposure to Domestic Chinese Issuers
The accounting fraud at Lukin Coffee is just the latest reason to raise concerns about investment risks in Chinese companies. The SEC has issued a new report that includes the exposure of the biggest pension funds in the UA. Excerpts here (footnotes omitted), full report below. More than 150 China-based companies with a combined market…
Congress And Nasdaq Propose Rules That May Result In Delisting Of Chinese Companies – Corporate/Commercial Law – United States
Congress and The Nasdaq Stock Market have both proposed rules that may result in the delisting of Chinese companies. On May 20, 2020, the Senate passed by unanimous consent S. 945, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which would prohibit securities of a company from being listed on any U.S. securities exchange or traded “over-the-counter”…
New Corporate Governance Code for Italian Equity-Listed Issuers |
A new edition of the Corporate Governance Code was released on 31 January 2020. The new Code focuses on four essential objectives and principles: sustainability, engagement, proportionality, and simplification. Sustainability: The new Code intends to encourage Italian equity-listed issuers to adopt strategies based on sustainability. It recommends sustainable success as a priority for company management…
Changing the Timeline on Corporate Financial Reporting: SGX Scraps Quarterly Updates – Glass Lewis
he Singapore Exchange Limited (“SGX”) announced that it would change its reporting regimen to remove the requirement for quarterly earnings reporting to instead only require half-yearly reporting. The change provides for risk-based exceptions, which require certain companies to continue quarterly earnings reports if: A company received a disclaimer, adverse or qualified opinion from its auditor…
Women on Boards: Hitting an Ambitious Goal in the UK| Korn Ferry
It was an ambitious goal when it was set in 2010: triple the percentage of female board directors on corporate boards by 2020. But as this new year dawned, more than three out of every ten directors—30.6%, to be exact—at the 250 largest publicly traded firms in the UK are women. The goal now? Keep…
Board of tech group Inex to step down amid governance row
Big corporations are in favor of activism and engagement when they are investors. The entire board of tech group Inex will step down following pressure from some of its leading members, including Google and BT Ireland, arising from a corporate governance row. In an email to members shortly before Christmas, the company confirmed that three…
