Who We Are
Climate Votes is a global effort comprised of climate finance specialists engaging with institutional investors to use their shareholder power for real climate action.
Real climate action from investors is more pressing and important than ever. More often, we’re seeing climate-fuelled extreme weather events debilitating communities across the world and leaving death and destruction in their wake. If climate chaos — enabled by the investment industry — is allowed to wreak havoc on this world, shareholders will have a lot more to worry about than just their profits drying up.
Investors have a responsibility to address climate risk, compel companies to decarbonize and halt deforestation, and to protect Indigenous rights impacted by corporate operations. When they don’t, investors must vote against boards and replace them with new directors who will take the necessary steps to set their companies on a pathway to a just climate transition.
The Problem
To have a chance of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, scientists say that we need to halve carbon emissions this decade. Yet companies are continuing to dig up more coal, gas, and oil, and to build cars, power stations, and infrastructure which burn fossil fuels. Institutional investors own and finance these companies, but are failing to use their shareholder power to push for companies to act on climate.
The Solution
Institutional investors have serious power to shape companies’ futures. By denying new money for fossil fuel expansion, and voting on resolutions and directors at companies’ annual meetings, investors can ignite a swift transition to clean energy. A small number of investors have started to act in this way, and many more have recently signed up to net zero pledges. If they step up and use their full shareholder power, there’s still time to prevent the worst of climate change.
Organisations to Watch
