Audit committee chairs cite pressure from leaders and investors as a key driver for ESG activity, YouGov research finds.

The fund seeks to push the companies into speeding up their climate transition plans and acting to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

As COP15 in Montréal strives to protect ecosystems, investors are already showing concern about the risks to business of biodiversity loss.

The hedge fund has questioned the adequacy of SSE’s corporate governance and criticised the board’s “notable lack of renewables expertise”.

Stock price falls have put some companies in a vulnerable position, while boards distracted by Covid-19 may not be prepared for activist intervention.

Large shareholders have had the right to challenge executive remuneration in the UK since 2013, but research shows that no pay policies in FTSE 100 companies have been defeated by investor votes since the law was introduced.

The number of global activist investors grew year-on-year in the first half of 2018, while the number of companies targeted around the world rises significantly.

UK companies are much more likely to face investor activism than their European counterparts, according to Alvarez & Marsal.

Major investment adviser wants shareholders to vote against new Volkswagen board appointments, and an independent and analytical review of the carmaker’s plan to improve its culture and governance.

Both Legal & General Investment Management and The Investment Association have fired warning shots at FTSE 350 boards to improve gender diversity, or face the consequences.