Pushing Nike for more worker-driven social responsibility
PGGM in cooperation with other investors, is stepping up engagement with Nike about their worker-driven social responsibility (WSR).
Active ownership
As an investors, we have global influence over a large number of companies. We leverage this influence to steer sectors/companies with significant room for improvement in the right direction
As an active owner, PGGM urges companies to implement decarbonization strategies appropriate to their businesses and aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement. We also focus on encouraging climate solutions that accelerate society's transition and will benefit their long term performance.
As an investor working for pension funds with strong ties to the healthcare sector, PGGM wants to play its part in helping people live healthy, prosperous lives. We therefore invest in healthcare solutions but also engage with companies to address subjects such as prevention and good access to affordable healthcare.
PGGM seeks to contribute to a society in which economic development is not at the expense of human rights. In taking our responsibility to respect human rights, we adopt standards such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). We ask companies to not only identify salient human rights risks in their business and supply chains but also ensure that a robust policy and implementation plan are in place to safeguard human rights.
On the basis of the following ‘‘active ownership’ activities, PGGM fulfils the rights and responsibilities associated with being a shareholder in listed companies:
Voting
Voting rights are one of the most important ways to influence the course of a business. We therefore vote on the basis of our own judgement at meetings of shareholders. For each company, PGGM publishes its voting record and an explanation.
Download our voting guidelines here.
Engagement
As a pension investor we see it as our responsibility to engage with market parties and companies about their policies and activities. In this way, we attempt to reduce ESG-related risks and to stimulate companies to grow a positive footprint on society.
For our largest client PFZW in 2022, we started a two-year engagement program for the fossil fuel sector with the purpose of only remaining invested in companies that are meaningfully contributing to the goal of the Paris Agreement. This concluded at the end of 2023. We are now actively engaging companies in the Materials, Industrials, Utilities, and Food sectors. For more information about our engagement and voting activities in 2023, on behalf of PFZW, read PFZW’s Stewardship Report.
Sector Guides
We have released the first in a series of sector-specific guides that shape our engagement with companies. These guides outline our expectations for industries where these sustainability themes are most relevant. The initial guides cover oil & gas, aviation, food, and healthcare sectors.
Additional sector guides will be released later this year.
Legal proceedings
When necessary, we institute legal proceedings against companies on behalf of our clients as shareholder, to recover any investment losses and enforce good corporate conduct. Read more about current proceedings in our Integrated Annual Report.
News & press releases about active ownership
Prosus AGM
On Wednesday August 21st, PGGM attended the Prosus Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Engaging on climate and nature at Ahold Delhaize
Last May, PGGM attended Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize NV’s Strategy Days, where CEO Frans Muller presented the ‘Growing Together’ strategy, focusing on a healthier future for people and planet.
Accelerating Climate Action at Yara International
Yara, one of the largest producers of fertilizer globally, needs to publish a scope 3 Net Zero target to align itself with ‘Paris’, writes Gillian Gailliaert.
PGGM and McDonald’s sign a resolution withdrawal agreement
PGGM collaborates with NGOs Ceres and FAIRR to engage fast-food companies on their sustainability policies, write Eloisa Menguzzo and Luuk Tupker.
Shifting our engagement focus to fossil fuel consumers
Our goal is to encourage the largest emitters in our portfolio to align their 2030 targets and strategy with the Paris Agreement, write Colin Thissen and Andres van der Linden.
Engagement outcome: NN Group's updated Climate Action Plan
In July, NN Group, an international insurance company, published its updated Climate Action Plan.
European fast charging station operator Electra sets its sights on the Dutch market
ELECTRA, the European specialist in fast charging electric vehicles and winner of the European scale-up of the year award, announces its entry into the Dutch market.
Largest client PGGM continues to invest in seven listed oil and gas companies
Pension Fund Zorg en Welzijn (PFZW), a client of PGGM, has stopped investing in oil and gas companies that still do not have a convincing plan in line with the Paris climate agreement.
Climate action is always on the menu
How PGGM engages with food companies to contrast climate change
Dutch Climate Coalition statement on the Tilenga & EACOP projects in Uganda and Tanzania
PGGM votes for climate proposal at BP AGM
PGGM will vote in favour of a climate-related shareholder resolution filed by Follow This at the AGM of BP plc, which calls for a Paris-aligned mid-term greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions target
PFZW divests more fossil energy companies that are lagging the energy transition
PFZW press release: PFZW has divested listed equity and credit in 78 fossil energy companies. The divestment is part of a 2-year programme which aims to drive the fossil energy sector to bring its activities in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.
PFZW has sold 114 oil and gas companies
PFZW press release: The first phase of the fossil energy programme of PFZW announced in February 2022 has been completed.Shares in 114 companies in this sector have been sold, and discussions with a select group of companies about their climate ambitions have been intensified.
Dutch investor statement on oil and gas: 'Prove your commitment to Paris'
October 20th, 2022, The Netherlands – Earlier this year, we, a group of like-minded Dutch investors, published a statement outlining the objectives that oil and gas companies should pursue to be aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Group of Dutch investors urges oil and gas companies to take climate action
Joint statement of institutional investors with combined AuM of EUR 1.48 trillion