Oct. 31, 2018
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission should require corporate managers to be honest with their shareholders about how they are planning for the long term. Shareholders have a right to know if oil executives are trying to buy off politicians to slow progress on addressing climate change. They also have a right to know whether the company is cultivating diversity on its board or moving profits abroad to avoid paying taxes in the U.S. These are just a few examples of the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks that the SEC should require public companies to disclose to their shareholders and the public. We are sent letters as shareholders to vote on board members. Yet we never hear about anything else and it is our money that you are using on your decisions. We need to know and it should be public information. Our concerns for the environment may disagree or agree with your motives. But we should have the opportunity to know what we are contributing to as we do with other aspects of life. Thank you for considering my comment. Kate Cosgrove