American Electric Power case study

Background American Electric Power Co., Inc. (AEP) is a public utility holding company that engages in the business of generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. It operates through the following segments: Vertically Integrated Utilities, Transmission & Distribution Utilities, AEP Transmission Holdco and Generation & Marketing. The Vertically Integrated Utilities segment engages in the generation, transmission […]

Repsol case study

Background Repsol is a multinational energy company headquartered in Madrid, Spain—considered the largest industrial company in the country. It committed to becoming a key player in the global energy transition by introducing a plan to allocate €6.5 billion to low-carbon initiatives in its 2021-2025 Strategic Plan¹ and being the first energy company to set a net […]

Netflix case study

Background Arguably, two of the most pertinent topics for all companies to address within their ESG practices are climate change and diversity, equity and inclusion. As the climate changes, companies face operational, regulatory and reputational risks along with changing consumer demand, and companies that do not value diversity and promote inclusion create regulatory, talent and […]

Royal Bank of Canada case study

Background Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) engages in the provision of banking and financial solutions. It operates through the following segments: Personal and Commercial Banking, Wealth Management, Insurance, Investor and Treasury Services, Capital Markets, and Corporate Support. Across these segments, RBC offers a broad suite of financial products and services in Canada with operations in […]

BBVA case study

Background BBVA is a Spanish-headquartered bank with operations in Europe, South America, Mexico and Turkey. We have been engaging with the bank on board independence, skills and experience since 2019 and on environmental, social and governance issues for over a decade. Board composition is integral in enabling good governance, which itself is a foundation for […]

Defenders of a threatened world

Indigenous Peoples are increasingly on the frontline of the climate crisis, and in recent years we have seen major flashpoints erupt between extractives companies and local communities. For example, Rio Tinto’s destruction of Aboriginal heritage sites at Juukan Gorge damaged the company’s social licence to operate while North American oil and gas pipelines have faced […]

A brave new world?

Since the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, artificial intelligence (AI) has captured the popular imagination. But while AI has the potential to dramatically increase the productivity of businesses and transform many aspects of our daily lives, it also brings with it considerable risks. As generative AI tools proliferate, the biases they sometimes reflect may […]

Meta Platforms case study

Over the course of our engagement on data privacy and safeguarding policies, we encouraged the company to more clearly outline the steps it would take to solve the issues, and for its quarterly reporting to include information on how it is improving data privacy. We also relayed our concerns with the dual-class share structure and […]

Public Engagement Report Q3 2023 

Fast Reading  A failure to protect Indigenous Peoples’ rights can expose a company to business, legal and reputational risks As generative AI tools proliferate, the biases they sometimes reflect may perpetuate stereotypes and stall progress towards greater equality The number of climate-related shareholder resolutions rose in developed Asia and emerging markets this voting season Indigenous […]

Investor dissension mounts as temperatures rise

Shareholders continued to call for change at companies this year, bringing a raft of proposals in the US and Europe on collective bargaining rights, climate lobbying, child safety in the digital realm, animal welfare, racial equity and tax transparency. Executive compensation also came under scrutiny as the cost of living crisis continued. Meanwhile, as Europe […]