The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu The leading online blog in the fields of corporate governance and financial regulation. Mon, 13 Jul 2026 16:17:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.8 https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/cropped-photography-4-e1706898544564-1-32x32.png A Guide to the Big Three’s Proxy Voting Policies & Guidance on Key ESG Issues – The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu 32 32 A Guide to the Big Three’s Proxy Voting Policies & Guidance on Key ESG Issues https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2026/04/26/a-guide-to-the-big-threes-proxy-voting-policies-guidance-on-key-esg-issues/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-guide-to-the-big-threes-proxy-voting-policies-guidance-on-key-esg-issues https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2026/04/26/a-guide-to-the-big-threes-proxy-voting-policies-guidance-on-key-esg-issues/#respond Sun, 26 Apr 2026 11:30:51 +0000 https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/?p=180338?d=20260424143640EDT Posted by Lyuba Goltser, Rebecca Grapsas and Eleni Samara, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, on Sunday, April 26, 2026
Editor's Note:

Lyuba Goltser and Rebecca Grapsas are Partners and Eleni Samara is an Associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. This post is based on their Weil Gotshal memorandum.

Introduction to the Big Three and ESG Guide

The “Big Three” institutional investors, BlackRock, State Street Investment Management and Vanguard, recently released 2026 proxy voting policies and related guidance applicable to US companies. Companies are well-advised to review these policies and guidance in planning for engagement with the Big Three throughout the year and during the proxy season, and in considering environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosures going forward.

In this Guide, we:

  • Provide ESG-focused practical guidance for public companies to consider in light of these policies and guidance. See also our alert, Looking to the 2026 Proxy Season: Key Corporate Governance, Engagement, Disclosure and Annual Meeting Topics.
  • Identify changes to the proxy voting policies and guidance of the Big Three on ESG topics for 2026.
  • Summarize the expectations of the Big Three as to company practices and disclosures around selected ESG topics, and highlight where failing to meet expectations may result in votes against directors.

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