DWS ESG engagements and proxy voting activities 2022

DWS Investment GmbH has published its Active Ownership Report with the ESG engagements and proxy voting activities of 2022

In 2022 DWS engaged with investee companies held both in actively and passively managed funds, as well as fixed income issuers. Our thematic engagements on net zero, human rights and blue economy have largely continued the work that began in 2021.

In 2022, we voted at a total of 3,822 general meetings at 2,827 investee companies. We held 532 engagements with 448 investee companies including 175 net zero engagements. In addition, we sent questions to the AGMs of 64 investee companies.

Further steps have been made across multiple teams to drive forward progress to meet our own net zero ambition.

In 2022 we identified the issuers and portfolios with the largest emissions using an enhanced methodology based on inflation adjusted weighted-average carbon intensity (WACI adjusted) portfolio contribution. This will act as a basis for DWS's own decarbonisation target.

In 2023, we will continue developing and enhancing our active ownership activities. As we close the first full year of our enhanced engagement framework, 2023 will be the first opportunity to review our engagement KPIs with investee companies and monitor their development.