NZFSPA Reshaped: Net Zero Alliance Shutters Standalone Activities 29 January 2026 By Jack Grogan-Fenn The Net Zero Financial Service Providers Alliance (NZFSPA) has decided to reorganise almost five years since its 2021 launch and conclude activities as a standalone initiative. The alliance’s stock exchanges, research and data providers and other members will now work towards their […]

Mixed Messages: Disney Accepts Resolutions from Anti-ESG Proponent Trio Amid Legal Uncertainty 28 January 2026 By Jack Grogan-Fenn Disney has revealed that three shareholder proposals from anti-ESG proponents will be voted on at its 2026 AGM amid concerns over litigation should resolutions be excluded following controversial changes to the ‘no action’ process. Disney’s 2026 AGM is […]

‘No Action’ Reaction: ICCR Questions SEC’s Controversial Shareholder Stance 27 January 2026 By Jack Grogan-Fenn The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) has expressed “concern” about the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) decision to not respond to ‘no action’ requests to exclude shareholder proposals during the 2026 proxy season. “The recent announcement by the SECʼs […]

Decrying DEI: Texas’ Paxton Brands 100+ State Laws as “Unconstitutional” 23 January 2025 By Jack Grogan-Fenn Texas’ Attorney General Ken Paxton has declared that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, programmes and more than 100 “woke” state laws are “unconstitutional”. The legal opinion issued this week has set its sights on DEI programs in schools and […]

The UK government has ditched its long-awaited Audit and Corporate Governance Reform Bill in a controversial decision which has courted condemnation from corporate governance experts.

Extinguishing ESG: US House Approves Prohibitive Bill for Pension Funds 20 January 2026 By Jack Grogan-Fenn A bill which would prohibit ESG factors being considered by pension fund managers and in pension plans has been narrowly approved by the US House of Representatives. The Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act – also referred to as […]

Sustainability Accountability: ESMA Adds Guidance to Avoid Greenwashing Risks 16 January 2026 By Jack Grogan-Fenn The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has issued new guidance focused on ESG strategies and presenting its expectations for market participants to “avoid the risk of greenwashing”. The thematic note from the authority published this week looks at ESG integration […]

Shareholder Proposal Schism: Divides Deepen Over Infringed Investor Resolution Rights 16 January 2026 By Jack Grogan-Fenn Divides between shareholders, companies and others involved in corporate governance are becoming increasingly clear as the 2026 proxy season approaches following a series of actions from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) impacting on shareholder proposals. The John L. […]

Apple Shareholders Stunted: Proposals Plummet as SEC Shift Bites 15 January 2026 By Jack Grogan-Fenn Just one shareholder proposal has made it to technology giant Apple’s 2026 proxy statement to be voted on at its 24 February AGM, with several resolutions excluded and none on AI for the first time since 2023. Only a single shareholder […]

Executive Pay Upset: Trump Proposes U$5m Defence Sector Remuneration Cap 9 January 2026 By Jack Grogan-Fenn US President Donald Trump has lambasted the executive pay of defence firms, calling for a cap of U$5 million until they increase the number of facilities manufacturing military equipment. This week, Trump wrote on Truth Social that defence contractors are […]

Political Spending Clash: Shareholder Challenges Cadence Micromanagement Appeal 9 January 2025 By Jack Grogan-Fenn Shareholder activist John Chevedden has argued that his proposal at US technology company Cadence Design Systems does not constitute “micromanagement” as the company has claimed in its resolution omission request. According to Chevedden, Cadence had made its intentions clear to exclude his […]

Anti-DEI Drive: Trump’s DOJ Wields Fraud Law to Dissuade Companies 9 January 2025 By Jack Grogan-Fenn The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched a fresh attack on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), planning to apply fraud law as a further disincentive to companies applying such policies. The department is set to argue that considering diversity […]

Augmenting Alignment: Investor & Issuer Forum Creates Collaborative Compass 19 December 2025 By Jack Grogan-Fenn The Investor & Issuer Forum (I&IF) has launched the Investor & Issuer Compass, a “clear practical guide” to support “effective engagement” in UK listed equites and improve outcomes for companies, investors and the UK market. The compass sets specific market-agreed conditions […]

Proxy Advisor Peril: Trump Escalates Dispute with Executive Order 18 December 2025 By Jack Grogan-Fenn US President Donald Trump has introduced an executive order instructing the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to “review all rules, regulations, guidance, bulletins, and memoranda relating to proxy advisors” and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to “review ongoing State antitrust […]

Succession Plan Scrutiny: AMF Explores Future Planning Governance Risks 17 December 2025 By Jack Grogan-Fenn France’s Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) has explored executive succession plan transparency in a review of 53 listed companies in its 2025 Corporate Governance Report. In its report, the AMF – France’s financial regulator – looked at crucial governance disclosures by […]

‘No Action’ Retraction: Costco Accepts Anti-ESG Proposal Despite SEC Overhaul 12 November 2025 By Jack Grogan-Fenn Costco has opted to include a shareholder proposal in its 2026 proxy statement from an anti-ESG proponent despite previously submitting a ‘no action’ request to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to exclude the resolution. Costco’s inclusion of the […]

Income “Insanity”: Sanders Lambasts Tesla CEO Musk’s U$1tn Pay Package 11 November 2025 By Jack Grogan-Fenn US Senator Bernie Sanders has branded Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s controversial U$1 trillion pay package as “insanity” amid his attempts to tackle increasing executive remuneration and a widening CEO-to-worker pay ratio. Sanders and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, a fellow Democrat, introduced […]

Landmark Lawsuits: Canadian Investors Sued in Two ESG-linked Cases 9 December 2025 By Jack Grogan-Fenn The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) and Canadian asset manager Purpose Investments are the subject of two separate ESG-linked lawsuits which could hold key future implications for companies and shareholders. CPP Investments – the world’s sixth largest pension fund […]

Generating Guidance: UK to Set Statutory Advice for Private Pensions 5 December 2025 By Jack Grogan-Fenn The UK government’s intentions to create statutory guidance for the trust-based private pensions sector has this week been confirmed by the Minister for Pensions Torsten Bell during the third reading of the Pension Schemes Bill. Bell said legislation would be […]

GGIC Growth: Major Investors Back Campaign Challenging Corporate Governance “Misconceptions” By Jack Grogan-Fenn Investors with more than U$245 trillion in AUM have thrown their weight behind a new report from the Governance for Growth Investor Campaign (GGIC) challenging “misconceptions” about their role in capital markets. The GGIC’s policy vision document published this week seeks to “challenge […]

ESG Ratings Opportunity: UK Regulation Could Forge £500m in Net Benefits 3 December 2025 By Jack Grogan-Fenn The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued proposals for consultation seeking to make environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings “transparent, reliable and comparable” which could create up to £500 million (U$622 million) in net benefits through 2035. The long-awaited […]

Defence Developments: EU Establishes New Defence Industry Programme 28 November 2025 By Jack Grogan-Fenn The European Parliament has adopted the long-mooted European defence industry programme (EDIP) regulation which looks to strengthen the EU defence industry, accelerate defence manufacturing and augment support for Ukraine. The EDIP has been established the same week that the Parliament has to […]

SB 2337 Stunted: Texas Scraps Short-term Efforts to Revive Proxy Advisor Bill 26 November 2025 By Jack Grogan-Fenn Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas, has this week reportedly announced that the state has scrapped short-term efforts to restore the polarising Senate Bill (SB) 2337 which would have major implications for proxy advisors. In September, a preliminary injunction […]

Case Closed: SEC Stops SolarWinds Data Breach Lawsuit 24 November 2025 By Jack Grogan-Fenn The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced that it is ceasing its high-profile lawsuit against software company SolarWinds five years after an infamous data breach. SolarWinds fell victim to a significant data breach in 2020, which permitted hackers to gain access to sensitive information […]