Environmental and Social Investor Bids Spike, But Support Falls

More than three in five shareholder proposals filed at public companies in the last decade had an environmental or social focus, a proxy advisory firm found.

Shareholder proposals related to environmental and social issues accounted for 62% of the total considered at company annual meetings in 2024, up from 44% a decade earlier, Institutional Shareholder Services said in a report published Thursday. Those proposals included both bids prompting companies to reduce their harm to the environment and address social issues, and those from opponents of environmental, social, and governance initiatives.

The number of all investor proposals grew substantially since 2022 ...