SfC launches its engagement report 2024

In 2024, the 20 members of the network, with a total of over €48bn AUM, jointly engaged 172 companies and one institution, most of them in Europe, filing resolutions and voting at annual general meetings (AGMs) or asking questions in conference calls, meetings and via mail.

Most questions were on climate and environment issues, ESG policies, and governance and remuneration. 46% of engagement initiatives are still ongoing, while 33% were completed. In 63% of cases, companies and institutions were cooperative, committing to implementing what we demanded or disclosing requested information. In 16% of cases they refused to enter a dialogue with our members.

«We have continued to uphold our core identity: a network that remains agile, unbureaucratic, and focused on impactful engagement with companies and institutions», says Ugo Biggeri, president of SfC. «While our approach remains rooted in long-term collaborative dialogue, we are not hesitant to escalate engagements when necessary».

One of the key themes of 2024, as in previous years, was our focus on “orphan issues”—topics that are insufficiently addressed in mainstream investor engagement. Our network addressed issues such as ’energy poverty’ in Spain or the investment in nuclear weapons by financial institutions. 

We have engaged not only listed companies, but also unlisted, small companies, as well as asset managers and ESG rating agencies. In 2024, 15 asset managers were engaged, mainly in the USA, Germany and Switzerland. The most recurring issues for this form of engagement were ESG policy (60%), followed by Governance/remuneration (40%).

The 2024 Engagement Report also includes news on SfC’s lobbying, training and networking activities, partnerships with universities and NGOs, and highlights from SfC’s past year.
 
Download the report HERE.