Vanguard to focus on corporate climate risk disclosure
BOSTON (Reuters) - Top mutual fund manager Vanguard Group said on Monday it has "prioritized climate risk" in its talks with companies, and urged them to disclose potential business risks from environmental shifts.
Vanguard also said investor activist Walden Asset Management withdrew a shareholder proposal requesting a review of Vanguard's proxy voting.
Under pressure from investors, Vanguard and other fund managers are paying more attention to climate matters, helping pass several high-profile shareholder resolutions at energy companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp during the spring proxy season.
Glenn Booraem, investment stewardship officer for Vanguard funds, said the closely held Pennsylvania firm has pressured companies to say more about topics like the value of their assets under various future scenarios.
"It is crucial to our fund investors that market participants have access to consistently comparable information to incorporate these risks and opportunities into market prices," Booraem said.
Vanguard also plans to give more details about its talks with companies on issues such as gender diversity on corporate boards.
Vanguard manages about $4 trillion and is often the top shareholder of big U.S. corporations through its massive index funds, giving it a major voice in setting corporate agendas.