We engage differently. We engage for impact.
Choosing what goes in your investment portfolio—and what stays out—is only one part of responsible investment. Shareholder engagement enables investors to use their voices as shareholders to support better corporate sustainability policies and practices. Our collaborative model means we have a voice with scale and can provide our clients with an extensive engagement program supported by rigorous research and deep expertise at an affordable price.
SHARE’s engagement services have a track record of leading change by developing new areas of research and engagement, such as our award-winning work through the Reconciliation and Responsible Investment Initiative, and our leadership on decent work.
How does shareholder engagement work?
SHARE’s shareholder engagement service facilitates constructive shareholder dialogues with companies on the most pressing ESG issues. Our unique and effective approach amplifies the voices of small and medium-sized investors, and provides the kind of focused and well-researched attention that produces results.
With the support and expertise of our team, SHARE’s clients are helping to improve corporate ESG policies and practices to protect our clients’ investment portfolios, as well as the economy and environment that we all share.
Policy Advocacy
As part of our Engagement services, SHARE advocates for policy change as it relates to our Impact and Initiatives. Collaborative and principled policy advocacy can transform company or sector-level changes to system-wide requirements.
In any comprehensive responsible investor strategy, advocacy for policy change is an essential and powerful tactic. Too often, the rules are stacked against our interest in building a sustainable, inclusive and productive economy—whether it’s securities regulations, mandatory disclosure, or human rights due diligence requirements.
2024 Highlights
Every quarter, SHARE publishes an engagement report, highlighting some of the milestone actions that have happened thanks to our shareholder engagement efforts. Here are a few highlights from the past year.
Protecting Migrant Workers’ Rights in Sysco’s Supply Chain
With reports detailing the abuse of migrant workers in Sysco’s supply chain and following a two-year engagement without progress, SHARE filed a proposal on behalf of clients for a published independent human rights impact report. SHARE eventually withdrew the proposal, with Sysco committing to expand its social audits and disclosing its key performance indicators relating to its human rights performance.
A String of Filings at Canadian Banks
Over a 10-day period, SHARE filed shareholder proposals at Scotiabank, CIBC, TD and BMO urging the banks to disclose their energy finance ratios. The SHARE team co-ordinated with PFA Pension, the largest pension fund in Denmark, as a co-filer on all four proposals, reinforcing the message we have been relaying to the banks that global investors are interested in and tracking these ratios. Scotiabank subsequently committed to disclosing this key metric.
Driving Scope 3 Emissions Reduction in the Canadian Mining Sector
With Canada being home to roughly three-quarters of the world’s mining companies, SHARE’s climate engagement team has worked to support mining companies with measurement, reporting and target setting of mining supply chain (scope 3) emissions. The published CEC benchmark results noted significant progress across the mining sector in relation to SHARE’s company-level engagement priorities for 2024.
Dollarama and Retail Supply Chains
Continuing a long-standing, constructive and productive engagement with Dollarama, SHARE met with the company to discuss progress on its scope 3 mapping and scope 1 and 2 decarbonization efforts. With the retail sector’s powerful influence on climate change via supply chain management, Dollarama sets a clear example that if it can do it, any retailer can.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
For more information, read through our frequently asked questions to see if this service is the right fit for your organization.
Do we need to change asset managers to join SHARE’s Values in Action Program?
SHARE’s engagement service works with your existing managers and your existing portfolio – we don’t replace your current service provider arrangements. We are not an investment manager. What you choose to put in your investment portfolio is up to you and your managers, based on the policies you have adopted.
What about global equities?
SHARE offers two service options, a Canadian Equity Engagement Service and a US & Global Equity Engagement Service. SHARE’s clients can take part in either or both of these programs depending on your needs. We also offer customized service for engagement where funds can pursue additional opportunities.
We are invested in pooled funds. Can we still participate?
Yes! Many of our participants are invested through pooled funds. If you hold units in a pooled fund, you still hold an economic interest in the value of the assets in that pool. That is, the risks and opportunities are the same for unit holders in the pool as they are for asset owners that hold company shares in segregated funds. For this reason, even as a unit holder, you still have good reason to engage with a company on the concerns that may affect the value of that company and/or the portfolio as a whole. Therefore, those of our clients that hold their assets in a pooled fund have been able to participate fully in our engagement program and benefit equally from the results.
What resources are required to participate in SHARE’s engagement program?
We design our program to deliver the highest outcomes with the lowest burden on your staff. SHARE’s engagement team will do almost all of the work and provide you with the results and communications materials to enable you to share those stories with your own stakeholders. However, we also leave the door open for more active participation tailored to your needs.
SHARE’s program is affordable and scales to suit the needs of institutional investors of all sizes. Because we are a non-profit, every dollar we bring in from clients is directly re-invested to enhance our programs.
How can we find out more?
Contact Anthony Schein, Director of Shareholder Advocacy at aschein@share.ca.