At Procter & Gamble’s recent shareholders’ meeting, ethos supported 2 shareholder resolutions proposed for the 3rd consecutive year. In the name of several public pension funds, the New York City comptroller put forward a resolution requesting the company to ensure that its suppliers apply the International Labor Office’s principles with regard to human rights in the workplace. An annual report on the implementation of those steps must be provided to shareholders. 9.9% of votes were in favor of the resolution in 2000, 7.7% in 2001 and 12% in 2002.
In addition, a group of shareholders proposed a resolution asking Procter & Gamble to identify and label all products containing genetically modified organisms, a step which they feel is necessary to protect consumers until it has been proven that those organisms are completely harmless to humans and animals. 5.6% of votes were in favor of the resolution in 2000, 7.6% in 2001 and 10% in 2002.
The fact that those resolutions are put forward every year and the ever-increasing number of votes in favor of them show the importance of the company’s social and environmental strategies to shareholders.
