Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing: Engagement case study
Background TSMC is the world’s largest contract manufacturer of semiconductor chips and plays a critical role in enabling a range of established and emerging technologies. Since listing on the Taiwan Stock Exchange in 1994, the company has established a leading position in semiconductor manufacturing process technology and has delivered strong long-term returns for shareholders. Since […]
Baidu: engagement case study
Background Founded in 2000 as a search engine, Baidu adopted artificial intelligence in 2010 to enhance content discovery and is now a leading Chinese AI company, with products and services that reach over a billion devices monthly. We have been engaging with Baidu on AI and digital rights since 2019, when we first encouraged the […]
Stemming the plastics tide
Fast reading The global plastics treaty aims to tackle plastic pollution across the entire lifecycle, from design and production to chemicals of concern and disposal. The majority of states seeking an ambitious treaty called for a global ban and phase-out of chemicals and products of concern – mainly single-use plastics. Recognising the growing emphasis on […]
Amazon case study
Background Amazon is an American multinational technology company that engages in e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming and artificial intelligence activities. As one of the world’s largest retailers, there is strong interest in human and labour rights at the company. Our engagement We began engagement with the company on these issues in 2020. We […]
Building a credible market for nature-based carbon offsets
Fast reading New UN standards for international carbon markets agreed at COP29 to boost credibility. Due diligence is critical for assessing the quality of nature-based carbon offset projects. While high-quality projects often require more significant investment and longer timeframes, they are essential to ensure a meaningful climate impact. In the first article in this series […]
What was achieved at COP29?
Fast reading Carbon market rulebook should bolster confidence among investors and project developers, including companies formulating credible offsetting strategies. Blended finance approach crucial for opening up commercial decarbonisation pathways for companies and investors operating outside advanced developed nations. Muted response to the Global Stocktake exacerbates uncertainty over the shape and pace of the energy transition. […]
What is nature-based carbon offsetting?
Fast reading The demand for nature-based carbon offsetting is set to rise, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors. Potential benefits include nature restoration, biodiversity protection and improved water and air quality, as well as job creation and economic development. Key challenges include measurement and verification, and ensuring that the carbon remains locked away for a significant period. […]
Stewardship: a coming of age
2025 Outlook
A new frontier for stewardship
Stewardship has travelled a long way over the last two decades, and while it has not always been smooth sailing, when done well it has delivered positive outcomes for investors, companies and society as a whole. But active ownership is not without its challenges. Although these have changed over the years, it is instructive to […]
Engagement has a crucial role to play in the green transition
Fast reading Encouraging carbon-intensive companies to implement decarbonisation strategies is crucial to bringing down global emissions and supporting the transition to net zero. Investors are in an important position to affect real change among high-emitting companies through purposeful and effective engagement. The greatest potential for improvement lies with small- and mid-cap (SMID) companies, in our […]
