Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) shareholders on Saturday decisively turned down six proposals concerning environmental and societal policies at Warren Buffett's conglomerate, all of which the billionaire investor and his board disapproved.
With margins exceeding 4-to-1, shareholders at Berkshire's yearly gathering dismissed two suggestions urging the company's insurance and energy divisions to reveal more details about their actions addressing climate change, including greenhouse gas emissions.
They similarly rejected a proposal advocating for increased transparency regarding efforts to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion within the workforce.
By significant majorities, shareholders opposed a distinct proposal related to the environment, which proposed establishing a committee at the board level to oversee safety at the BNSF railway unit, as well as mandating Berkshire to provide annual reports on the extent of its business dependence on the "hostile" Chinese government.
Berkshire initially invested in Chinese electric vehicle company BYD in 2008, though it commenced reducing that investment in 2022.
The outcomes were largely anticipated due to Buffett's ownership of special shares granting him a 31% voting interest in Berkshire, making it challenging to pass proposals he disapproves of.
Additionally, Berkshire shareholders reaffirmed the reelection of the company's 14-member board.
