Leonel Rondon was killed in September 2018 after a control line on a century-old natural gas pipeline in Lawrence, Massachusetts, failed, detonating a home and sending its chimney crashing down onto the car he was sitting in. The explosion that killed 18-year-old Rondon was one of several and, as it was later revealed, resulted from… Continue reading Recent Lawsuits Give Rise to Board-Level Safety Committees
Category: Agenda
Investors Prod Boards on Water Risk Oversight
A group of 64 investors holding $9.8 trillion in assets under management this month formed an initiative aimed at companies with a high water footprint to pressure them on valuing and reducing the material, financial risks linked to water and, in turn, to better guard global freshwater resources. The investor group, led by Ceres, plans… Continue reading Investors Prod Boards on Water Risk Oversight
Companies Under Fire Over Plastic Use
Plastic use and the risks associated with it are garnering more heat from stakeholder groups, including shareholders, the federal government, the United Nations and ESG accounting standard setters, which have targeted single-use plastics. Boards should ensure that appropriate internal stakeholders are prepared for increased focus on the issue, which has generated popular shareholder proposals this… Continue reading Companies Under Fire Over Plastic Use
As Companies Grapple with Scope 3, Scope 4 Comes into Play
California utility Pacific Gas & Electric Company recently published a climate strategy report that highlights a new category of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that the company calls Scope 4. According to PG&E, the category accounts for the emissions it enabled its customers to reduce. “As a utility that provides gas and electric service to millions… Continue reading As Companies Grapple with Scope 3, Scope 4 Comes into Play
Boards Continue Size Expansions to Bring in New Directors
Roughly a dozen S&P 500 companies expanded the size of their boards during the past three months in order to recruit new directors at companies including Danaher, General Mills, Medtronic and Discover Financial Services. The data comes from public company intelligence provider MyLogIQ. The expansion continues a trend of the past few years in which… Continue reading Boards Continue Size Expansions to Bring in New Directors
After Lead Directors’ Time Commitment Spikes, Pay Rises
Following two years of expansive board recruitment, CEO succession and leadership challenges, boards are adjusting pay for lead directors to accommodate the increased time commitment. …According to reports from public company intelligence provider MyLogIQ, roughly two dozen boards in the Russell 1000 granted raises to lead directors. Those companies include Amgen, Avalara, Baker Hughes, Carlyle… Continue reading After Lead Directors’ Time Commitment Spikes, Pay Rises
Special Meeting Proposals Almost Doubled in 2022
The number of shareholder proposals requesting the ability to call a special meeting appears to have almost doubled this proxy season, according to new data from shareholder services provider Georgeson. The spike in proposals related to special meetings reflects continued efforts by shareholders to make it easier to have more of a say on certain… Continue reading Special Meeting Proposals Almost Doubled in 2022
Board Leaders See Pay Hikes
Directors are approving pay raises for board leaders as investor scrutiny intensifies and as competition for new board members and leadership talent grows fiercer. Dozens of Russell 1000 companies opted to increase premiums paid to non-executive board chairs and lead directors in the past year, some even doubling retainers, according to pay data from public… Continue reading Board Leaders See Pay Hikes