Shareholder Stewardship and Sustainability - the Current European Legal Framework and Possible Ways Ahead

Book excerpt: Shareholder stewardship is a prominent topic in the field of corporate governance that has been high on the agenda of academics and policymakers for about a decade now. It is viewed by many as a necessary component to robust corporate governance and as a tool for long-term profitability. Stewardship is therefore encouraged, either in the form of stewardship codes or, in the case of the EU, by the Shareholder Rights Directive II (SRD II). Institutional investors and asset managers, the addressees of most stewardship provisions, hold a large and growing part of equity worldwide. This concentration of power makes stewardship appealing, as a change of course by a few large players with the necessary expertise and resources could have a far-reaching and positive effect on the overall economy. While stewardship rules started out in order to mitigate the perceived flaw of overly passive investors, there is now an increased focus on the role investors can play in the transition towards a sustainable economy. In order to meet the EU's ambitious climate goals, many companies will have to adapt their business models to be part of a net-zero economy. The investors in those companies, who want to ensure the value of their investments for the future, have incentives to monitor their investee companies and assist them with the adaptation process. As promising as this idea of investors as stewards for sustainability sounds, there are also a number of flaws. Firstly, the predicted influence of institutional investors and asset managers may be overstated in continental Europe, where controlling shareholders are more dominant. Furthermore, institutional investors have only limited incentives to genuinely engage with their investee companies. Engagement may be more successful when investors cooperate with each other. Finally, while SRD II requires investors to publish their investment and engagement policies, the provisions are vague, leading to strong variations in disclosure and monitoring.In this paper I first explain the concept of stewardship, followed by an overview of the legal framework surrounding it. In my analysis I discuss some flaws of the current legal framework and suggest pathways for further research and policies.