Positive change through engagement and voting

We are active investors and active owners. To drive the sustainability performance of a company, we prefer inclusion over exclusion.

Engagement

Engagement and voting are crucial to encourage positive change at the companies we invest in and achieve real world change. In 2023 we undertook:

110
Engagements for change
- tangible objectives
- measured outcomes
43
Engagements for awareness
- increase awareness about certain issues
178
Collaborative engagements
- we team up with other investors to increase pressure on companies

How can firms be persuaded to minimize their carbon footprint and set clear sustainability targets and report on them? Or make remuneration more linked with sustainability goals and treat their employees in accordance with international standards? Engagement is a key element in our sustainability efforts.

Read more on our engagement approach in our Stewardship and Engagement Policy:

Stewardship and Engagement Policy

Milestones

We measure the outcomes and results of our engagement with milestones, in a four-stage process. In 2023 we achieved 90 engagement milestones across 110 engagements for change.

42
Milestones on environmental issues
39
Milestones on governance issues
9
Milestones on social issues

Voting

Voting at shareholder meetings of investee companies is an important tool in our stewardship and active ownership as well. Shareholder resolutions can put pressure on companies, for example to improve or define net zero targets.

468
Number of meetings voted
327
Number of meetings with at least 1 vote against, withhold or abstain
942
Number of votes against management: this amounts to 15% of total votes cast

We typically vote against management when we have concerns about board nominees due to their age, tenure, diversity or if we have concerns about the executive remuneration. Our criteria can be found in our full voting policy.

Our voting records are published in full here.

Engagement factsheets

Read the latest engagement factsheets

Back to our Sustainability approach

There’s a saying in Dutch, Kom verder, it means many things and it’s our business philosophy. It captures the way we work with clients but also the way we steer our investee companies to deliver shareholder value through active engagement.

Capital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise, and investors may not get back the amount originally invested. Past performance provides no guarantee for the future.

Positive change through engagement and voting

Engagement

110

43

178

Milestones

42

39

9

Voting

468

327

942

Engagement factsheets