A common argument against divestment is that it jettisons voting power and that it has a small effect on stock prices. We argue that divestment is a form of voice that changes social preferences. We show that the Go Fossil Free divestment movement has had a disproportionate impact on share prices by changing the economic narrative.
By stigmatising target companies, it has increased stranded asset risk. Divestment pledges that went viral have depressed share prices of all high carbon emitters, including those with no significant divestment. Peak virality coincides with an increase in the carbon premium and precedes net- zero commitments from countries, regions, cities, and business. By altering the social and regulatory environment, divestment induces risk averse investors to decarbonise their portfolios, further reinforcing the narrative.
This paper provides evidence that the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests that followed the killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 brought long-lasting...
We analyze the monitoring efforts of a large active asset manager that involve high-level private meetings with portfolio firms that are unobservable...