As we look for signs of spring, Mercy Investment Services is preparing for proxy voting season, when companies hold their annual general meetings (AGMs) and investors vote on shareholder resolutions. Mercy Investment Services collaborates closely with the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), which released its 2022 Proxy Resolution & Voting Guide detailing the resolutions ICCR members have filed in proxy year 2022.
The 2022 proxy season has been a very active one, as ICCR members have filed a record 436 shareholder resolutions, nearly 200 more than this time last year. The climate crisis and diversity/racial justice are the leading investor concerns, with 103 and 100 resolutions filed, respectively. On climate, investors are most often asking companies to align lobbying with climate goals, disclose greenhouse gas reduction targets, and to use science-based decision-making to set those targets. Regarding diversity and racial equity, resolutions calling for independent third-party civil rights and racial equity audits have gained traction with a variety of investors. Some resolutions will go to a vote at company AGMs, but investors may withdraw resolutions from the proxy ballots if companies agree to take meaningful action on these issues.
You can view Mercy Investment Services’ resolutions and proxy voting online.