Anthesis Group’s Post

Schulte Roth & Zabel, which has represented clients in some of the highest-profile and most complex campaigns in investor engagement, is excited to announce its 14th Annual Shareholder Activism Conference, which will take place on Wednesday, June 5. The Conference is a platform for stakeholders to discuss best practices for influencing corporate behavior through active ownership and an opportunity to connect the corporate governance community. Attendees will gain insights into the latest trends and legal frameworks governing shareholder activism, in addition to the experiences of people involved in the year’s most significant campaigns. Conference Highlights: Speakers: Renowned industry leaders and practitioners in shareholder activism and corporate governance will engage in impactful conversations. Confirmed speakers include leading activists, advisors, and journalists. Interactive panel discussions will include: - A Conversation with Cristiano Guerra, Head of Institutional Shareholder Services’ Special Situations Research team - Fireside Chat with Leading Activists - Perspectives on the 2024 Proxy Season - Updates to the Activism Litigation Landscape - Private Capital and Regulatory Trends Networking: Opportunities to connect with institutional investors and corporate governance leaders that shape the activism space. To register, please reach out to your Schulte representative. #SchulteLaw #ShareholderActivism

The anti-ESG crusade is cynical political theater. They’re threatened by the success of pro-ESG shareholder advocacy because it’s rooted in good business sense, rather than ideology. At As You Sow, we base our resolutions on solid data. Asking a company to outperform is what we do. By comparison, anti-ESG resolutions try to make the case that white men are being discriminated against without looking at the data or impact. https://ow.ly/eoxU50RH38B

Mandating human rights due diligence in the European Union is one of the four areas that our board chair Michael Posner highlights in his new piece on where business needs to step up in 2024.    Learn more 👇

Flagging an interesting collaborative initiative currently live on the Principles for Responsible Investment's Collaboration Platform: ⭐ The Investor Initiative on Human Rights Data (II-HRD). "The II-HRD is a collaborative initiative where institutional investors work together to advance the corporate human rights data environment. This will enable investors to systematically incorporate human rights data into their investment and stewardship decision making." The initiative was founded and is led by Church Commissioners for England, Aviva Investors and Scottish Widows. The deadline is 30 April. Further details via link to PRI's Collaboration Platform below. https://lnkd.in/dp6EdC3C

As governments around the world are failing to protect their own people, companies need to make the protection of human rights a higher priority throughout their global business operations. Here are four things these companies need to focus on in 2024. https://lnkd.in/eQ8YqBb3

[#Csuite2024] Human rights risks can be the most complex area for C-suites to manage when reporting about #sustainability. Our C-suite barometer found that 37% of leaders recognise they lack in-house expertise on human rights. In reality, this percentage is likely to be much higher. A co-author of leading UN-supported guidance on human rights reporting, Richard Karmel, shares his views on transformative social sustainability reporting and the challenges C-suites face in meeting them: https://lnkd.in/gp__ak-3

It was an honor to be featured on Vienna Calling today, discussing business and human rights with inspiring Petra Bayr. Key takeaways from our conversation are: 🌍 Business and human rights have gained significant global recognition since the adoption of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. ⚖️ Legislation requiring businesses to respect human rights varies by country, hindering states and companies from fully meeting their roles and responsibilities. 🧗♂️ The EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is a step forward in addressing these challenges through mandatory reporting, broader scope, and third-party assurance. But more action is needed to translate mandatory reporting to meaningful actions. 🤝 To drive real change, we must mobilize the entire economic system—governments, investors, civil society, local communities, and consumers—to hold companies accountable for their human rights commitments. Petra and I first met in 2008 as part of the organizing committee for the 2010 International AIDS Conference. After 14 years, we found more wrinkles on our faces but the same level of contagious passion and commitment from each other. Thank you, Petra, for this great opportunity, and to Bernd Herger for making the live stream possible! #BusinessAndHumanRights #Sustainability #CSR #CSRD #HumanRights #Accountability #SustainableBusiness #SocialImpact #ResponsibleBusiness

The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre recorded 630 attacks against people raising concerns about harmful business practice last year, directly affecting an estimated 20,000 people. Business & Human Rights Resource Centre's annual analysis breaks down the data - revealing a persistent pattern of attacks against the human rights defenders protecting our rights & planet: https://bit.ly/3UpvaSG

[#Csuite2024] Human rights risks can be the most complex area for C-suites to manage when reporting about #sustainability. Our C-suite barometer found that 37% of leaders recognise they lack in-house expertise on human rights. In reality, this percentage is likely to be much higher. A co-author of leading UN-supported guidance on human rights reporting, Richard Karmel, shares his views on transformative social sustainability reporting and the challenges C-suites face in meeting them: https://lnkd.in/daEZPwPi

I had an insightful time at SDSU’s Speaker Series, listening to Chief Justice Leo Strine (ret.), activist investor David Batchelder, and moderator David Katz discuss shareholder activism and its impact on corporate governance. The discussion highlighted both the positive and negative influences of shareholder activism on companies and boards. Positive Aspects: 🔍 Improves Corporate Governance: Activists push for better governance practices, such as increased board independence and transparency, enhancing overall company governance. 📊 Enhances Firm Performance: By bringing new perspectives, additional information, and competencies to board discussions, activists help companies navigate challenges and position themselves better for the future. 🧠 Prompts Proactive Changes: The threat of activism can lead companies to make beneficial changes proactively, even before any issues are visible. Negative Aspects: ⚖️ Costly and Disruptive: Activism efforts can consume significant management time and resources, potentially causing disruption. ⏳ Short-Term Focus: Some activists may prioritize short-term gains over long-term stability, which can be detrimental to the company’s sustained growth. Overall, I believe the positives of shareholder activism predominate. Activists with deep business knowledge and expertise can drive meaningful changes that ultimately benefit companies and their stakeholders. Thank you, Fowler College of Business at San Diego State University, for a fantastic event! #SDSU #SpeakerSeries #CorporateGovernance #ShareholderActivism #CommunityEngagement