The shareholders' meeting of listed companies peaked on the 29th.
This year, there have been a series of proposals from shareholders requesting that they strengthen their efforts to tackle climate change issues, and the number of companies that have made shareholder proposals is the highest ever.
The general meeting of shareholders of companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange for the fiscal year ended March 31, has reached its peak, and on the 29th, about 600 companies, or 26%, are holding a general meeting.
Of these, the general meeting of shareholders of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, a major financial company, was held in Tokyo from 10 am.
At the General Assembly, the Articles of Incorporation stipulate that shareholder NGOs will set goals for investment and financing in line with the "Paris Agreement," a framework for combating global warming, and will not provide funds for the development of new oil and gas fields. A proposal was made to include it in.
On the other hand, the company has set a goal of investing and reducing greenhouse gas emissions of all lenders to virtually zero by 2050, and has already started to work on it, and has expressed opposition.
According to Daiwa Institute of Research, 77 companies have made shareholder proposals, such as tackling climate change issues, strengthening shareholder returns, and appointing men and women as directors, an increase of 60% from last year. It was the highest number ever.
Recently, shareholder proposals have been gaining support as they increase corporate value, and it is being questioned how companies can respond to the needs of shareholders.