Does proxy voting really promote corporate sustainability?

Research question/issue This study explores the challenges faced by responsible investment and shareholder activism practitioners in integrating sustainability by means of proxy voting as shareholder engagement strategy. Research findings/insights Proxy voting guidelines that sometimes include sustainability provisions are applied in a very elastic and inconsistent way. Proxy voting agents are expected to follow the guidelines; they explain their non-compliance by pointing out the guidelines' vagueness, the opacity of current proxy voting practices, and portfolio managers not necessarily aligned with their clients' stated sustainability commitments, along with their perceptions of what is in the best interest of the clients. Theoretical/academic implications This study sheds new light on processes underlying proxy voting practices for sustainability, which have been largely overlooked in the literature. By opening the "black box" of proxy voting processes, this study challenges the dominant optimism in this area and raises serious concerns regarding the effectiveness of current shareholder activism practices. This paper also contributes to the critical literature on corporate sustainability and neo-institutional approaches by showing that the use of proxy voting guidelines in this area can be considered as a rational myth based on symbolic commitments divorced from substantial change in the dominant financial logic. Practitioner/policy implications This paper has important practical implications for institutional investors, organizations involved in proxy voting practices, and stakeholders in general. Among other things, this article shows the importance of clarifying the commitments included in proxy voting procedures, monitoring their application, and providing training on ESG issues to the actors involved in implementing the guidelines.