Voting

Active ownership

In taking our responsibility to respect human rights, PGGM adopts standards such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. We ask companies to identify salient human rights risks and ensure that a robust human rights policy and implementation plan are in place for their operations and supply chains.
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Voting in the 2023 AGM season
Our engagement in action. Explore some of our most recent and ongoing engagement and collaboration.

Voting in the 2023 AGM season
Climate Change

As an active owner, PGGM urges companies to implement decarbonization strategies appropriate to their businesses and aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement. We also focus on encouraging climate solutions that accelerate society's transition and will benefit their long term performance.

More about Climate change
Health2

As an investor working for pension funds with strong ties to the healthcare sector, PGGM wants to play its part in helping people live healthy, prosperous lives. We therefore invest in healthcare solutions but also engage with companies to address subjects such as prevention and good access to affordable healthcare.

More about Health
Human rights

PGGM seeks to contribute to a society in which economic development is not at the expense of human rights. In taking our responsibility to respect human rights, we adopt standards such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). We ask companies to not only identify salient human rights risks in their business and supply chains but also ensure that a robust policy and implementation plan are in place to safeguard human rights.

More about Human rights
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As responsible investor, PGGM calls upon companies to implement targets and strategies to minimize their contribution to nature and biodiversity loss. The strategies should be appropriate to their businesses and aligned with the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. 

More about Nature and biodiversity
Climate Change

As an active owner, PGGM urges companies to implement decarbonization strategies appropriate to their businesses and aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement. We also focus on encouraging climate solutions that accelerate society's transition and will benefit their long term performance.

More about Climate change

On the basis of the following ‘‘active ownership’ activities, PGGM fulfils the rights and responsibilities associated with being a shareholder in listed companies:

Voting

Voting rights are one of the most important ways to influence the course of a business. We therefore vote on the basis of our own judgement at meetings of shareholders. For each company, PGGM publishes its voting record and an explanation.

Download our voting guidelines here.

Engagement

As a pension investor we see it as our responsibility to engage with market parties and companies about their policies and activities. In this way, we attempt to reduce ESG-related risks and to stimulate companies to grow a positive footprint on society.

For our largest client PFZW in 2022, we started a two-year engagement program for the fossil fuel sector with the purpose of only remaining invested in companies that are meaningfully contributing to the goal of the Paris Agreement. This concluded at the end of 2023. We are now actively engaging companies in the Materials, Industrials, Utilities, and Food sectors. Read the PFZW Press Release: Only seven listed oil and gas companies retained in PFZW investment portfolio.

Legal proceedings

When necessary, we institute legal proceedings against companies on behalf of our clients as shareholder, to recover any investment losses and enforce good corporate conduct. Read more about current proceedings in our Integrated Annual Report.