ESG in Conversation: Shining a Light on Shareholder Rights

Episode Summary  Host: 

• Melissa Chase, Senior Content Marketing Manager, Morningstar Sustainalytics 
• Lindsey Stewart, CFA, Director of Investment Stewardship Research, Morningstar Sustainalytics 

Guests: 

• Hortense Bioy, CFA, Head of Sustainable Investing Research 
• Jackie Cook, Senior Director, Stewardship 

Trends in Sustainable Investing and ESG-Focused Proxy Voting Activities 

ESG In Conversation welcomes Lindsey Stewart as the new co-host for the podcast. He and Melissa chat about current developments in the sustainable investment space and the uncertainties investors and companies face. This month’s episode includes three compelling interviews with some of Sustainalytics’ experts, including Lindsey. Tune in to hear perspectives on sustainable investing trends and the continuously changing regulatory landscape. The discussions also cover recent research examining patterns in investors’ proxy voting activities, how companies’ share structures can influence vote outcomes and how that plays out for certain ballot items like say on pay.  

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Please take a moment to share your thoughts on ESG in Conversation. You can email us at podcast@sustainalytics.com. 

Key Moments  

00:00:26 

Introduction 

00:03:32 

Interview with Hortense Bioy on sustainable investing trends, regulatory changes and the impact on the investment funds landscape. 

00:14:29 

Interview with Jackie Cook covering recent research on the impact of dual class share structures on sustainability-focused shareholder resolutions. 

00:28:42 

Interview with Lindsey Stewart on the widening gap between European and US investors environmentally and socially focused shareholder resolutions. 

00:36:24 

Closing remarks 

 

Links to Select Resources

• Six Sustainable Investing Trends to Watch in 2025 Report 
• Shareholder Democracy and the Challenge of Dual Class Share Structures 
• Say on Pay: CEO Compensation and the Long Tail of Shareholder Dissent 
• Voting on ESG: A Gap Becomes a Gulf 

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