ShareAction

The results are in - the The Labour Party have been elected as the next UK government. We’ll be working with newly elected MPs across Parliament to campaign for a higher standard of responsible investment. The new government has made several commitments, including delivering economic stability and creating a green energy system fit for the future. In a challenging fiscal climate, these will depend on a responsible financial system aligned with long-term, sustainable prosperity. The UK’s financial sector has a lot of power but the rules that underpin the system and guide investors are not fit to deal with the crises we face today. Policymakers can change that and transform the financial system so that it works for both people and the planet. Labour has come into power at a crucial point for our futures. We need the government to be ambitious and build a more sustainable financial system that better protects our long-term interests. Hear from our Public Affairs Manager on how the government can change the system for the better.

A big thank you to the signatories of our Long-Term Investors in People’s Health (LIPH) programme who attended our event on Tuesday. 🙌 We delved into plans for the upcoming year and were fortunate to have some of our signatories share brilliant examples of how they are approaching health as a responsible investment topic. The session gave our signatories the opportunity to hear from other organisations from both inside and outside the network and develop these relationships that inspire more creative solutions to health-related issues.   We were thrilled by the energy, enthusiasm and insightful contributions the signatories brought to the experience. We hope everyone left feeling inspired by our speakers and excited to implement new approaches to health🎉 If you’re an investor looking for more information on health, sign up to the LIPH programme⬇ https://lnkd.in/e5vh6_9x Cardano, PIRC Limited, Nest pensions, Man Group, Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), Barrow Cadbury Trust, LifeArc, Guy's & St Thomas' Foundation, Jupiter Asset Management, Schroders, The Health Foundation, Sycomore Asset Management, EQ Investors I B Corp, Nuffield Trust, Achmea, Greenbank Investments, Impax Asset Management, American Century Investments.

Our Head of Biodiversity Alexandra Pinzon has arrived at #COP16 in Colombia and is speaking on a panel alongside Stephanie Baima, John Willis & Varvara Shershneva on how investor action over hazardous chemicals can help address biodiversity loss🧪🌳 Last year, we published a briefing on why pesticide companies, and their investors, must urgently address the industry’s contribution to biodiversity loss🐝 With severe impacts across ecosystems and species, pesticides damage nature’s innate ability to provide services we all rely on, such as pollination and fertile soils. In the UK alone, neonicotinoids– a class of pesticides– have been shown to reduce bee reproduction by 44 percent📉 Investors need to start taking action on pesticide-related biodiversity loss. Read our briefing in full https://lnkd.in/dw-vFMhH

The Living Wage Foundation has revealed the new real Living Wage rates for the UK and London today, bringing a well-deserved pay increase for thousands of workers facing the challenge of lasting high prices after a tough few years   Now more than ever, it's crucial for businesses to commit to paying the real Living Wage to support their lowest-paid employees. In the coming year, we’re continuing our campaign for companies in the retail sector to adopt these new rates for the good of their staff. There’ll be more opportunities for investors and the public to get involved with our work.  Sign our petition calling for fair wages for all retail workers: https://lnkd.in/dXb2r-s7 See how we challenged companies on low pay during the 2024 AGM season below⬇ https://lnkd.in/e2AZPbbJ

Improving population health: the role of insurers as investors 🏥 Good population health is the backbone of resilient economies and thriving societies. Yet, preventable ill-health continues to limit lives across the world. Insurance companies have a unique opportunity not just to protect individuals, but also to drive positive population health changes through responsible investment. Read the blog we’ve produced in collaboration with Association of British Insurers, where we explore how insurers can: • Incentivise healthier lifestyles • Engage companies on worker, consumer, and community health • Shift investment decisions towards health-positive outcomes • Collaborate for systemic change Learn how insurers can shape a healthier future for all through their investment strategies by reading the full blog here: https://lnkd.in/ejHMJDWk 📢 If you are an investor and would like to find out more about our health work, contact ShareAction's Francesca Skinner, MSc, ANutr, IMC or Louisa Hughes 📧 or visit our website: https://lnkd.in/efEm-mdd #InsuranceInvestment #InsuranceIndustry #InvestingInHealth #SustainableInvesting #PublicHealth #HealthInvestment #ImpactInvesting #ESG #CorporateResponsibility

At its AGM next Wednesday, BHP - one of the world’s largest mining companies - will submit its climate transition plan for shareholders to vote ‘for’ or ‘against’ what they have proposed. 🗳️   We’ve commissioned analysis by PIRC Limited that has revealed the plan is not credible, based on the information the company has disclosed. It assumes that the high-polluting technology to which its products are suited will continue to dominate steel production. This is not aligned with the Paris Agreement, IEA planning scenarios, or the longer-term plans of some of their end customers, the steel producers.   Because of this, PIRC Limited is recommending that shareholders vote AGAINST the plan as it stands. If enough shareholders do this, BHP will need to reassess its plan.   This shows how a responsible approach to investment has the potential to drive climate action - by supporting companies and holding them accountable for transitioning at the pace and scale needed to meet global goals. 🌎   Every listed company is required to put routine items like its financial statements to an annual shareholder vote. Investors can - and should - use their votes on these as an escalation tactic where companies have resisted engagement.   As companies develop climate transition plans and put these to shareholders for endorsement, investors must take a critical lens when assessing whether they are sufficiently ambitious, credible and evidence-based.   If you would like to read the full report from PIRC Limited, you can do so here: https://lnkd.in/eNFWKE8k

🚀 We’re Hiring: Initiative Lead – Healthy Markets Initiative (HMI) 🚀   Are you passionate about using the power of investment to drive healthier, more sustainable outcomes in the food and beverage industry? At ShareAction, we’re looking for an Initiative Lead to shape and lead our Healthy Markets Initiative – a cutting-edge program leveraging investor influence to improve consumer health and nutrition globally. 🌍🥗   As the Initiative Lead, you’ll: 🚗Drive strategic campaigns to push major corporates for better nutrition and health standards. 🍎Collaborate with institutional investors to make health a priority in responsible investment.   🗝Play a key role in expanding the reach and impact of our Healthy Markets Initiative.   Join us in shaping a future where the financial system serves both people and planet! 🌱   📍 Location: Flexible within the UK (with regular travel into London) 🔗 Learn more about the role and apply⬇ https://lnkd.in/eSm4zJYi

Nature is in critical decline. We are losing biodiversity at an unprecedented rate, with global wildlife populations having suffered a decline of 73 per cent in 50 years. Business and finance sectors must recognise the importance of biodiversity to people and the planet and play their part in protecting our natural world.     #COP16 gets underway in Colombia today and it marks the opportunity for financial sector leaders and policymakers to use their power and influence to improve the system so that biodiversity loss can be addressed and ultimately reversed.  ShareAction will be attending COP16 Colombia to advocate for stronger biodiversity commitments from financial institutions, and our Chief Executive Catherine Howarth has set out on the importance of this international gathering and what we need to see from investors moving forward.

🌍 Since our inception in the early 2000s, ShareAction has been harnessing the power of investments to protect our planet. The science is stark: we are in a climate crisis, with rising temperatures and extreme weather impacting every corner of the globe. 🌡️ Did you know just 57 companies are linked to 80% of global emissions? This includes major oil giants like BP and Shell, who continue to make plans that conflict with the goals of the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global temperature increases to 1.5°C. 💡 Companies like these must realign their strategies to meet climate targets before it’s too late. But they don’t act alone. Investors hold the key to driving this transformation by leveraging their influence on corporate practices. This is where ShareAction steps in. We mobilise investors to take bold, decisive action on the climate crisis and other pressing global issues. Together, we can make sure that investments drive real change. Learn more about our work in this area: https://lnkd.in/epVMtaC8

A NEW Employment Rights Bill has been published today 👷🏾♀️🧑🏼🏭🧑🏿💼👩🏼🍳 In its ‘New Deal for Working People,’ and promise to ‘Make Work Pay’ - The Labour Party pledged to introduce a new bill with extensive changes to employment law. The bill has been published today, and alongside a number of investors belonging to our ‘Good Work’ and/or ‘Long-term Investors in People’s Health’ coalitions, we’ve written to Angela Rayner and Jonathan Reynolds MP to tell them our thoughts. We outline what's needed to improve the Employment Rights Bill and Living Wage proposals, including: 💸 A genuine living wage that reflects the cost of living for low-paid workers, closing income inequality and boosting productivity; 🔒 Stronger job security, including fair notice periods and compensation for shift changes;  🤒 Improved Statutory Sick Pay from day one, removing waiting days and thresholds, and raising the minimum rate.  These steps will enhance workers' wellbeing, reduce turnover, and create long-term economic stability. Read the full letter: https://lnkd.in/eGcUyF_s  Cardano CCLA Investment Management Greenbank Investments Barrow Cadbury Trust The Legal Education Foundation