The Big Three & ESG: A Guide to BlackRock, State Street & Vanguard Proxy Voting Policies & Guidance on Key ESG Issues - Governance & Securities Watch (2024)

The “Big Three” institutional investors, BlackRock, State Street Global Advisors and Vanguard, have significant influence on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies and related disclosure for public companies. In this annual publication, we provide the latest thinking of the Big Three on key ESG topics. Companies are well-advised to review these policies and guidance in planning for engagement with the Big Three throughout the year, and in considering ESG disclosures going forward.

In this Guide, we:

  • Provide ESG-focused practice pointers for public companies to consider in light of these policies and guidance
  • Highlight changes to the proxy voting policies and guidance of the Big Three on ESG topics for 2023
  • Summarize the expectations of the Big Three as to company practices and disclosures around selected ESG topics
  • Identify areas of vulnerability in director elections, and
  • Provide links to relevant proxy voting policies and related guidance

View the Big Three and ESG Guide here.

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The Big Three & ESG: A Guide to BlackRock, State Street & Vanguard Proxy Voting Policies & Guidance on Key ESG Issues - Governance & Securities Watch (2024)

FAQs

What is the big three and ESG? ›

The “Big Three” institutional investors, BlackRock, State Street Global Advisors and Vanguard, have significant influence on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies and related disclosure for public companies.

How did BlackRock State Street and Vanguard cast their ESG proxy votes? ›

Vanguard's ESG Support Half That of BlackRock, State Street

BlackRock and State Street supported a slight majority of the 100 proposals (55 and 60, respectively), as the chart below shows. Vanguard opposed almost three fourths (72) of them.

What is BlackRock's stance on ESG? ›

Amidst this global trend, BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, has taken a bold step by transitioning its investment strategy from ESG investing to a broader approach called transition investing. This move has significant implications not only for BlackRock but for the entire financial industry.

Do Vanguard and BlackRock vote? ›

BlackRock, State Street and Vanguard have opened up voting on environmental, social and management issues. It's not true shareholder democracy, but it's progress. Jeff Sommer writes Strategies, a weekly column on markets, finance and the economy.

What company has a high ESG score? ›

Top 100 ESG Companies
RankCompanyESG Score
1ASML Holdings N.V.73.13
2Check Point Software Technologies72.64
3Hermes International SCA71.71
4Linde71.26
39 more rows

What are the three pillars of ESG? ›

The three pillars of ESG are:
  • Environmental – this has to do with an organisation's impact on the planet.
  • Social – this has to do with the impact an organisation has on people, including staff and customers and the community.
  • Governance – this has to do with how an organisation is governed. Is it governed transparently?

What companies are owned by BlackRock? ›

Latest Holdings, Performance, AUM (from 13F, 13D)

BlackRock Inc.'s top holdings are Microsoft Corporation (US:MSFT) , Apple Inc. (US:AAPL) , Amazon.com, Inc. (US:AMZN) , NVIDIA Corporation (US:NVDA) , and Alphabet Inc.

Who are the owners of BlackRock and Vanguard? ›

Who Owns BlackRock? BlackRock is publicly owned, with its shares held by various shareholders, including institutional investors like Vanguard Group and State Street Corporation and individual shareholders. The specifics of these shareholders can change over time.

How much is Larry Fink really worth? ›

Why is BlackRock moving away from ESG? ›

BlackRock has since made a U-turn and is trying to smooth things over with its political enemies. Fink told The Wall Street Journal in October that he backtracked from the term ESG because it had been politicized and means something different to every person.

Why are people pulling out of BlackRock? ›

BlackRock, as the largest global investment management company, and a leading voice in the investment community on climate and energy transition-related investment themes, has found itself at the center of a vocal anti-ESG movement by Republican politicians in the U.S., who have accused the firm of following a social ...

Who is behind BlackRock? ›

Larry Fink is the founder, CEO and chairman of powerhouse investment management firm BlackRock, one of the world's largest asset managers. He and seven partners founded BlackRock in 1988. Originally it was part of The Blackstone Group. BlackRock was spun off from Blackstone in 1994 and went public in 1999.

Who is more powerful BlackRock or Vanguard? ›

Vanguard is the world's second-largest investment company or brokerage firm, offering a range of active and passive options, as well as a competitive fee structure and other attractive selling points. BlackRock, Inc. is the world's largest investment firm and asset manager.

Who is the owner of Vanguard? ›

Vanguard isn't owned by shareholders. It's owned by the people who invest in our funds. Our owners have access to personalized financial advice, high-quality investments, retirement tools, and relevant market insights that help them build a future for those they love.

Does BlackRock control the government? ›

Furthermore, BlackRock's influence extends beyond the corporate realm. It holds significant stakes in government bonds and other financial instruments, effectively lending to governments and influencing their policies (Financial Times, 2023).

What is ESG called now? ›

That is why we have chosen “sustainable” as our word of choice. It reflects the desire to support businesses that make decisions based on enduring values. It also reflects the reality that our financial resources must sustain us and our families over time.

What are the big 4 ESG metrics? ›

The framework divides disclosures into four pillars — principles of governance, planet, people, and prosperity — that serve as the foundation for ESG reporting standards.

Why ESG is the next big thing? ›

Because we see in our own portfolios that integrating ESG evaluation across all investment asset classes can – and often will – boost performance. Looking at ESG returns at this moment, the Morningstar Global Sustainability Leaders Index doubled its broad market index returns in Q1 2023, reaching 21.2 percent.

What is ESG known for? ›

The term ESG, or environmental, social and governance, is well-known in the investor community. It refers to a set of metrics used to measure an organization's environmental and social impact and has become increasingly important in investment decision-making over the years.

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