Allianz Global Investors ( AllianzGI ), the asset management arm of German insurer Allianz, has implemented several new rules for 2025, further emphasizing the importance of minority shareholder rights and enhancing its approach to sustainability in proxy voting.

Starting in 2025, AllianzGI, it says, will increasingly hold directors accountable if a company lacks a credible net-zero strategy. Voting decisions will be based on the asset manager’s proprietary Net-Zero Alignment Share ( NZAS ) methodology, a standardized framework designed to assess companies’ progress on net-zero goals across sectors and markets.

In cases where a company is confirmed as a high-impact entity and fails to demonstrate alignment with the NZAS methodology, the asset manager will vote against the chair of the sustainability committee, the chair of the strategy committee or the chair of the board, if such committees are not established.

In 2024, the asset manager participated in 8,879 shareholder meetings in 2024, voting on around 90,000 proposals, and opposed or abstained on at least one agenda item at 72% of all meetings, according to its recently published annual analysis of how it voted at annual general meetings globally.

“AllianzGI is committed to driving positive change through proxy voting and responsible investment practices,” says Matt Christensen, the asset manager’s global head of sustainable and impact investing. “Our dedication to stewardship and forward-looking approach will ensure that we remain at the forefront of advocating for high governance standards and the protection of minority shareholder rights. We remain committed to delivering pragmatic, real-world sustainability solutions and are excited to advance this in 2025 and beyond.”