On August 1, 2024, ISS Governance (ISS) announced the launch of its Annual Benchmark Policy Survey. The survey results will inform ISS’s policy development for 2025 and beyond. For the U.S. market, the survey solicits views on poison pills and executive compensation. In addition, the survey solicits views on global environmental and social topics including climate-related shareholder proposals, disclosure of Scope 3 GHG emissions targets, and shareholder proposals requesting disclosure of workforce diversity metrics.

ISS invites institutional investors, public companies, corporate directors, and all other interested market constituents to participate in the survey. The deadline to complete the survey is Thursday, September 5, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET. As in prior years, after the survey closes, ISS will open a public comment period for all interested market participants to provide feedback on key proposed changes to ISS’s voting policies for 2025.

In July, Glass Lewis & Co. LLC (Glass Lewis) opened its 2024 Policy Survey. The survey results will inform Glass Lewis’s “understanding of evolving market sentiment on key governance and stewardship topics” and regional Benchmark Voting Policy Guidelines. The survey solicits views on a broad range of topics including board oversight and performance (including with respect to expertise and oversight of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and ESG), executive pay, ESG matters, response to shareholder dissent, stewardship and engagement from both the investor and public company viewpoint, and shareholder rights (including with respect to virtual annual meetings, exclusive forum provisions, and reincorporation).

Glass Lewis invites responses from Glass Lewis clients and industry participants. The deadline to complete the survey is Friday, August 30, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. PT/8:00 p.m. ET.