Ethos Proxy Voting Guidelines: Empowering Shareholders

Exercising voting rights is an essential tool for shareholders who wish to defend their long-term interests and positively influence the practices of publicly traded companies of which they are co-owners.

With this in mind, a detailed analysis of the agendas of shareholders' general meetings permits the responsible exercise of voting rights.

These analyses are conducted in accordance with voting guidelines based on the Ethos Foundation Charter, as well as the most important codes of good practice in the field of corporate governance.

In a constant effort to ensure transparency, the voting positions adopted by Ethos in relation to the general meetings of Swiss and foreign companies will henceforth be communicated the day before the meetings on our site.

The active approach of Ethos seeks in particular to open a constructive dialogue with companies (especially those that still fall short of excellence from an environmental and social point of view).

Ethos European Network

For European companies, the primary analyses are carried out by a network of independent and experienced analysts who have been part of the ‘Ethos European Network’ since 2023.

Ethos' analyses are sent to clients in principle 12 days before the AGM. A quarterly report summarising the highlights of the AGMs is also sent to them.

Glass Lewis Proxy Voting Policies

Glass Lewis Proxy Voting Policies outline the market-specific Benchmark Voting Policies applied in our Proxy Paper research, along with our Thematic Voting Policy options. You can also find Supplementary Guidance outlining our approach to specific situations.

Our analysis evaluates each company and proposal individually, considering performance, industry, stock exchange, incorporation, and other relevant factors.

Benchmark Voting Policy

The Benchmark Voting Policy provides a comprehensive framework for evaluating various proposals and company practices across different markets.

Thematic Voting Policies

The Thematic Voting Policies cover specific issues such as ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) factors, providing guidance on how to vote on proposals related to these themes.

Supplementary Guidance

Supplementary Guidance offers additional context and considerations for specific situations that may arise during proxy voting.

Here's a summary of available Benchmark Voting Policies by region:

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