BlackRock released its "Engagement Priorities for 2021" (online here), reflecting a continued sustainability focus, as well as increasingly stringent standard-setting and associated director accountability that will inform its votes on directors across a number of topics. Each of the following engagement priorities is tagged with Key Performance Indicators (consisting of both disclosure and practice/process expectations) that will inform its engagement and voting decisions:This graphic shows how BlackRock’s engagement priorities align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Priorities also note BlackRock’s increasing reliance on voting on shareholder proposals to promote its stewardship efforts.
Further to its commentary on climate risk released in February (reported on here), BlackRock also released today additional or updated commentaries that articulate its approach to engagement across the themes of board diversity; natural capital (i.e., the environment beyond climate); corporate strategy, purpose, and financial resilience; incentives aligned with value creation; human capital management; and human rights impacts.
See “BlackRock to push companies on climate progress, natural capital” (Pensions & Investments”) and additional information & resources on our Institutional Investors page >>BlackRock.