The general meeting of shareholders of listed companies will peak on the 29th.

This year, shareholders have submitted a series of proposals to strengthen their efforts to tackle climate change, and it is likely that companies will be required to respond in order to attract investment in the future.

On the 29th, more than 620 companies, which are close to 30% of the companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange for the fiscal year ended March 31, held a general meeting of shareholders and reached their peak.

At the general meeting of shareholders of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group

Of these, the general meeting of shareholders of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, a major financial company, was held in Tokyo from 10 am for about an hour and a half.



At this general meeting, a NGO of shareholders proposed to change the articles of incorporation to set and disclose goals for investing and lending in accordance with the global warming countermeasure framework "Paris Agreement". ..



The contrast to this company, while the opposition as detract from the overall balance of the management strategy include a specific management issues in the articles of incorporation, such as in zero investment for coal-fired power generation in the prospect of the 2040 year, the Paris Agreement He explained that he had already started measures in line with the goals and asked shareholders for their understanding.



According to the company, as a result of the vote, the shareholder's proposal was rejected by a large number of opposition, but the number of votes in favor was about 23%, and it gained a certain amount of support.



Similar proposals have also been made to major trading companies, and the demands of shareholders are increasing, and it is likely that companies will be required to respond in order to attract investment in the future.

Climate change-related proposals Leading overseas and in Japan

The movement of shareholders to submit climate change-related bills to shareholders' meetings has taken the lead overseas and has spread to Japan.



According to Glass Lewis, an advisory firm for exercising voting rights in the United States, 17 shareholder proposals related to climate change issues were made in the United States last year, more than doubling from seven in the past, and the percentage of those who agree with these proposals is also high. It is said that it increased from 26% of the adult to 34% last year.



Under these circumstances, in May, the result of requesting ExxonMobil, one of the major oil companies called super majors, to appoint a director who is recommended by an emerging investment company that is not a major shareholder to strengthen climate change countermeasures. , With the support of other shareholders, I was appointed.



Local media also said it was "the historic defeat of the oil giant," and the company may be required to take more environmental measures in the future.



On the other hand, in Japan last year, Mizuho Financial Group, a major financial company, proposed that a shareholder NGO group set a goal and disclose it in order to invest and lend in line with the global warming countermeasure framework "Paris Agreement". ..



Similar proposals were submitted by financial giant Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and major trading company Sumitomo Corporation.



In addition, a Hong Kong investment fund made a detailed disclosure to the can manufacturer Toyo Seikan Group Holdings regarding specific measures to deal with climate change, and proposed to show a management strategy based on that disclosure. ..

Professor Emeritus Mitsuru Iwamura of Waseda University, who is familiar with capital markets, said, "It is becoming a global demand that companies should consider the risks of climate change problems, and shareholder proposals will increase." ..