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Raising the Bar

Home / Office of the Treasurer / Sustainable Investing

Overview

Sustainable Investing

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Sustainability Research

Corporate Governance Factors

Environmental Factors

Social Capital Factors

Human Capital Factors

Business Model & Innovation Factors

Leadership Factors

The Treasurer supports board accountability, transparency, sensible executive compensation programs, robust shareholder rights, and ethical conduct as key governance factors. The Treasurer advocates for policies and practices in support of these factors.

Board Accountability
The board of directors is elected by the company’s shareholders and is accountable to them. The role of the board is to represent shareholders’ interests in their oversight of corporate management.

The board of directors must maintain a level of independence from management to exercise proper oversight. The Treasurer considers an independent director to be one who: (1) is not an executive of the company, (2) does not have direct familial ties with executive management, (3) does not have significant business ties to the company, and (4) is not a significant shareholder.

Board Diversity
Research demonstrates that a diverse board of directors is better equipped to ensure multiple perspectives are considered and better positioned to enhance long-term company performance within a marketplace defined by extensive diversity and multiculturalism. Diversity is inclusive of gender, race/ethnicity, skill sets, professional backgrounds, and LGBT status.

Transparency
With due respect to proprietary information, companies should strive to be transparent in their business operations. Disclosure concerning matters of shareholder’ interest, such as those items outlined in this Policy, provides useful information and mitigates risks inherent with undisclosed matters.

Transparency and accuracy in the reporting of fees to the Treasurer from service providers is also essential to secure competitive rates.

Sensible Executive Compensation Programs
Excessive executive compensation programs may signal board entrenchment and exacerbate income inequality. Executive compensation should be reflective of company performance and within a reasonable range of compensation levels at industry leading companies.

The Treasurer believes an annual vote on executive compensation is a better option than a biennial or triennial vote because it affords shareholders the opportunity to provide the company’s compensation committees more timely feedback about the appropriateness of executive pay levels, which typically are decided on an annual basis.

Robust Shareholder Rights
Shareholders should be given tools to convey their perspectives to the board of directors, which serves as their representative body. Tools that provide shareholders with the appropriate mechanisms for communication include the ability to (1) call a special meeting, (2) act by written consent, and (3) have access to the proxy to nominate their own candidate(s) for the board assuming certain threshold requirements.

In addition, a majority voting standard for the election of directors ensures that directors have the confidence of their shareholders.

Boards of directors should also be declassified to enable shareholders to weigh-in on each director on an annual basis.

Ethical Conduct
Companies conducting business with or in receipt of investments from the Treasurer must comply with all laws and regulations under which they are governed. Further, the Treasurer expects companies to meet (if not exceed) all applicable ethical and professional standards of conduct.

Environmental stewardship is a shared responsibility. Furthermore, environmental and climate-related factors may have adverse financial impacts on the Treasurer’s investment portfolio. Accordingly, the Treasurer recognizes that impacts on the environment, either through the use of nonrenewable, natural resources as inputs to the factors of energy production or through harmful releases into the environment are key factors for consideration in identifying a company’s value proposition and risk exposures.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions contribute to climate change, and create additional regulatory compliance costs and risks due to climate change mitigation policies. Companies that cost-effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their operations by implementing industry-leading technologies and processes can create operational efficiency. They can mitigate the impact on value from increased fuel costs and regulations that limit — or put a price on — carbon emissions, which are occurring as regulatory and public concerns about climate change are increasing in the U.S. and globally.

Air Quality, Energy and Fuel Management
Companies should consider how the environment and related regulation will positively or negatively impact operations and vice versa. Routine assessment of the nexus of operations, natural resource dependency, and the environment may be communicated to investors through sustainability reports. Quantitative reporting on environmental risks, policies, performance, and goals assures investors that companies are aware of potential opportunities and/or risks and are seeking to act upon them appropriately.

Water and Waste
Impacts of water-intensive production and potential contamination of water resources include higher costs, liabilities, and lost revenues due to curtailment or suspension of operations. Similarly, companies that reduce, recycle, and effectively manage their waste streams lower their regulatory and litigation risks, remediation liabilities, and operating costs.

Climate Competence
Climate change has serious risk implications for investors and the businesses in which they invest. Shifts in temperature, weather patterns, and rising sea levels impact supply chain, consumer demand, physical capital, and communities. Extreme weather events are occurring on a more frequent basis and with increasing intensity. Events such as droughts, floods, and storms may lead to scarce resources and disruptions in operations and workforce availability. A company’s awareness of environmental risks and opportunities may have a significant impact on its operational capacity, financial position, and long-term value creation. With new environmental technologies, regulations, and business strategies rapidly developing (e.g., carbon pollution regulations and energy efficiency opportunities), it is important that companies maintain the knowledge and innovation to adapt and capitalize on these evolving changes. This may include, among other strategies, maintaining a board member or senior executive with expertise or ample experience with environmental science and technology.

Social capital factors address the management of relationships with key outside parties, such as customers, local communities, the public, and the government. They may impact investment returns, particularly if companies become involved in controversies that pose risks to their reputation. Human rights, access and affordability, customer welfare, data security and customer privacy, fair disclosure and labeling, and fair marketing and advertising, and community reinvestment are key social capital factors that warrant attention.

Human Rights
Companies have a legal duty to adhere to internationally recognized labor and human rights standards. Beyond the legal requirements, companies risk losing their social license to operate if they contribute to human rights abuses throughout their supply chain. The United Nations’ “Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights” sets out corporations’ responsibility to respect human rights. Companies should regularly assess and seek to minimize any negative impact caused by their operations.

Consumer Welfare
Companies have a material interest to provide products and services that do not expose their customers to undue physical or mental harm, deception, manipulation, exploitation, or unlawful conduct. This can expose companies to significant legal, regulatory, reputational, or other financial risks that jeopardize shareholder value. In addition, research demonstrates that companies that employ socially responsible business practices have the potential to create several distinct forms of value for customers, including positive marketing outcomes and subsequent financial performance. As such, this enhances firm value and long-term shareholder value.

Data Security and Consumer Privacy
Consumers trust companies with their personal and financial data. Companies that prevent data breaches and effectively manage data security and consumer privacy avoid harming brand value, reduce contingent liabilities, and maintain market share. Furthermore, companies that address data security threats and vulnerabilities through prevention, detection, and remediation are better positioned for customer acquisition and retention and may reduce extraordinary expenses from breaches of data security.

Community Relations and Community Reinvestment
Community relations are a fundamental, strategic aspect of business for public and private corporations. They are not only a barometer of image and market presence across the world. It helps attract and retain top employees, positions itself positively among customers and, increasingly improves its position in the market. Positive, proactive community relations can translate into improved financial performance.

The Treasurer wants to encourage an open and effective banking system that grows local communities and boosts Illinois’ economy. Pursuant to the Deposit of State Moneys Act (15 ILCS 520/16.3), the Treasurer is authorized to consider a financial institution’s record and current level of financial commitment to its local community when deciding whether to deposit State funds in that financial institution. As such, the Treasurer shall consider applicable firms’ level of community reinvestment when undertaking investment decision-making.

Furthermore, all banking and financial firms seeking to transact in investment activity with the Treasurer shall possess a minimum Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) rating of Satisfactory.

Companies that consider their workforce to be an important asset to deliver long-term value should manage their human capital with as much care and analytical insight as they manage their tangible and financial capital. It includes issues that affect the productivity of employees, such as employee engagement, diversity, incentives and compensation, as well as the attraction and retention of employees in highly competitive or constrained markets for specific talent, skills, or education. Employers should respect the right of their workers to organize under collective bargaining agreements and should provide a working environment that upholds health and safety standards.

Labor Relations and Fair Labor Practices
Companies benefit from taking a long-term perspective on managing human capital. This relates to practices involving fair compensation, workers’ rights, worker safety, and workforce productivity enhancements through skills and capacity building, research and development, and capital investments. Companies that subvert the law of widely adopted international standards for labor practices are exposed to operational, legal, regulatory, and reputational risks that may create roadblocks for both its existing operations as well as efforts to expand to other markets. Conversely, companies with fair labor policies and practices may be at a competitive advantage in attracting and employing an effective workforce, leading to a healthy company culture, stronger customer loyalty, increased revenue, and reduced costs.

Recruitment, Development, and Retention
The evolution of U.S. business into a true service-based economy has led many companies to espouse that their employees are their most valuable asset. As key contributors to value creation, skilled workers are highly sought after, and many companies face challenges recruiting and retaining those assets. Shortages in skilled domestic employees have created intense competition to acquire and maintain highly skilled employees, as evidenced by high employee turnover rates. Companies that improve employee compensation, benefits, training, and engagement are likely to improve retention and productivity, which positively contributes to profitability and long-term value creation.

Diversity and Inclusion
The U.S. population is undergoing a massive demographic shift, with an increase in minority populations. Companies can benefit from ensuring that their company culture and hiring and promotion practices embrace the building of a diverse workforce at management and lower-ranking positions. Companies that respond to this demographic trend and employ staff who will recognize the needs of these populations may be better able to capture demand from these segments, which can provide companies a competitive advantage.

The impact of sustainability issues on innovation and business models including corporate strategy and other innovations in the production process are integral to a company’s financial and operating performance. The ability of a company to plan and forecast viable opportunities and risks to its business model is critically important to its ability to create long-term shareholder value.

Lifecycle Impacts of Products and Services
Companies face increasing challenges associated with environmental and social externalities attributed to product manufacturing, transport, use and disposal. Rapid obsolescence of products exacerbates the externalities. Addressing product lifecycle concerns such as hazardous material inputs, energy efficiency, and waste, particularly through product design and end-of-life management could contribute to increased shareholder value through improved competitive positioning, greater market share, and lower regulatory, demand, and supply chain risks.

Product Quality and Safety
Companies have a material interest in ensuring the safety, proper labeling, and quality of their products. Companies that limit the incidence of safety or other product claims will be better positioned to reduce regulatory, legal, and reputational expenses and protect shareholder value. Conversely, companies with poor quality and safety standards may experience revenue loss due to damaged reputation, product recalls, or fines.

Leadership factors involve the management of issues that are inherent to the business model or common practice in the industry and that are in potential conflict with the interest of broader stakeholder groups (e.g., government, community, customers, and employees), and therefore create a potential liability or, worse, a limitation or removal of a license to operate. This includes compliance, and regulatory and political influence.

Systemic Risk Management
The increased globalization and interconnectedness of the marketplace has become a central concern of state, federal, and international regulators. This is particularly relevant to companies in the financial sector and insurance industry, with many designated or at-risk of being designated as systemically important institutions. This designation can subject firms to stricter regulatory standards, credit limitations, and increased oversight by government officials. In an effort to demonstrate how these risks are being managed, companies should enhance their disclosures of key metrics, risk exposures, and additional aspects of systemic risk management.

Ethical Business Practices
Companies that seek short-term profits by taking disreputable or anti-social actions may risk long-term sustainability. Prior corporate scandals have clearly demonstrated that profiting from harm caused to others impacts a company’s reputation and bottom line. The Treasurer expects companies to operate within the bounds of the law and ethical norms, particularly when it comes to responsible drug pricing, safe working conditions, and the sale and distribution of drugs, weapons and other products and services that may cause harm.

Regulatory Capture and Political Influence
While political contributions can benefit the strategic interests of a company, board-level policies and processes should exist to ensure that such giving is aligned with shareholders’ long-term interests. While shareholders understand that corporate participation in the political process can benefit companies strategically and contribute to value creation, corporate political giving has the potential to create risks to shareholder value through reputational harm and through undesirable reactions by employees and customers. Companies should have appropriate internal controls in place to manage, monitor, and disclose political contributions and managed related risks.

Supply Chain Management
Supply chain management is crucial for companies to prevent operational disruptions, avoid legal or regulatory action, protect brand value, and improve revenues. Sourcing from suppliers that have high quality standards, employ environmentally sustainable methods, honor labor rights, and avoid socially damaging practices better positions companies to protect themselves from supply disruptions and maintain shareholder value. In addition, appropriate supplier screening, monitoring, and engagement is necessary to ensure continued future supply and to minimize potential lifecycle impacts on company operations.

Reference Center

2024 Proxy Voting Policy Statement