What impact has COVID-19 had on ESG? Has it become more important or less? Have priorities of investors – and the public – shifted? Is climate protection still ‘number one’? And how are leading businesses in this space changing their ESG policies and priorities?

Shareholder activism has surged in Japan over the past few years. In addition to the increasing number of activist campaigns, a record 65 Japanese companies received shareholder proposals during this year’s AGM season. This is reflective of the government’s corporate governance reform, such as the introduction and revision of the stewardship code and corporate governance code serving as a tailwind.

Shareholder activism has made massive inroads into Japan over the last four years. In 2018, the number of activist campaigns in Asia surpassed the number across Europe for the first time, with Japan accounting for the majority of cases in Asia.

The digital revolution and the rise in smartphones, blockchain and artificial intelligence is reshaping the business world. As a result, we are seeing the emergence of a new trend that is threatening to disrupt these technologies and how we use them – that of data ethics.

When it comes to American activism, is your company prepared? Kekst CNC recently attended The Deal Corporate Governance in Europe Conference, to answer that exact question.