ESG Investor Proposals Fall by Half as Engagement Shifts Focus

Environment, social and sustainable governance shareholder proposals are down by almost half this year as investors and companies engage more behind the scenes and other kinds of proposals take center stage.

Shareholders had filed 184 ESG proposals as of March 17, down 47% from the same period last year, progressive shareholder group As You Sow reported Thursday.

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s November decision to let companies choose which bids to include on ballots might have chilled issues-based resolutions. But there’s another story behind the data, the report says: Direct, private engagement between investors and companies is gaining traction. Companies ...