The number of resolutions asking companies for disclosure of metrics, links to executive pay and other sustainability topics has dropped back to 39, after having increased to a high of 58 in 2018. Thirty-six are now pending, one has been withdrawn and two have been omitted. Many more withdrawals are likely, as companies are eager to claim leadership on sustainability. (Graph right.)

The number of straightforward requests for sustainability reports has largely dried up given the volume of companies now reporting, but requests to link a variety of sustainability issues to executive pay have been growing for several years— underscoring the proposition that executives deliver best if they are paid to pay attention. This year a new set of seven resolutions also asks about how companies are defining and delivering on their CEOs’ commitments to support the Business Roundtable’s statement last summer to attend to a wide variety of stakeholders, not just shareholders. (Graph right.)

Four proposals this year at large investment managers also seek support for ESG shareholder proposals, which has grown but remains relatively scant despite considerable support for a few climate change proposals and those about gun safety and the opioid crisis.