Ceres

Organization Trends
To Understand ESG Activism, Look to Shareholder Resolutions
For those wondering how and why environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) became a ubiquitous feature of American corporate culture seemingly overnight, you’re not alone. Congress wants to know, too.
by Robert Stilson on July 28, 2023

Organization Trends
“Progressive” ESG Shareholder Activism: Understanding ESG Activism
Corporate America’s recent leftward lurch on many divisive sociopolitical issues has not occurred in a vacuum. While it doubtlessly has many causes, chief among these is the pressure that businesses…
by Robert Stilson on July 12, 2023

Organization Trends
“Progressive” ESG Shareholder Activism: Quantitative Trends
The recent numerical increase in ESG shareholder resolutions has been well-documented. A comprehensive review of the 2022 proxy season by Georgeson counted 941 shareholder resolutions submitted to Russell 3000 companies,…
by Robert Stilson on July 12, 2023

Organization Trends
“Progressive” ESG Shareholder Activism: Qualitative Trends
The nature of ESG shareholder resolutions has shifted over the years to rapidly ramp up the pressure on American business. To quote the publisher’s introduction to the 2021 Proxy Preview,…
by Robert Stilson on July 12, 2023

Organization Trends
“Progressive” ESG Shareholder Activism: Pushing and Pushback
The quantitative and qualitative acceleration of ESG shareholder resolutions is easier to understand when one recalls that ESG activism is just ordinary sociopolitical issue activism undertaken within the corporate sector.
by Robert Stilson on July 12, 2023

Green Watch
BlackRock: Nonprofit Allies
Depending on your appetite for cynicism, greenwashing is either the mortal enemy or the duplicitous ally of the environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) movement. ESG was created by activists…
by Ken Braun on September 23, 2022

Green Watch
BlackRock: Policy or Posturing?
In May 2021, with BlackRock's support Engine No. 1, a tiny hedge fund few had then heard of, won three seats on the 12-member board of Exxon. These new board…
by Ken Braun on September 23, 2022

Green Watch
BlackRock: Drill, Baby, Drill!
In July 2022, BlackRock reported "a sharp drop in its support for environmental and social-related shareholder resolutions." Context is important. That same month BlackRock announced that it had lost $1.7…
by Ken Braun on September 23, 2022

Green Watch
Ceres Inc.: The ESG Old Guard
In 1989, decades before the abbreviation “ESG” was in common media usage, the nonprofit Ceres Inc. was founded to promote left-leaning climate and economic governance at major investment firms and…
by Ken Braun on September 12, 2022

Organization Trends
Record Number of ESG Shareholder Resolutions in 2022
According to the recently released Proxy Preview 2022 report, a record number of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) shareholder proposals have been filed with publicly traded companies in 2022, predominately…
by Robert Stilson on April 11, 2022