Berkshire shareholders vote to keep Buffett as chairman, reject climate disclosures

OMAHA, Neb., April 30 (Reuters) – Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) shareholders on Saturday rejected proposals to have an impartial chair change Warren Buffett, and require his firm to reveal extra about its climate-related dangers and efforts to enhance range.

Shareholders supported letting Buffett hold each the chairman and chief government roles by a virtually 6-to-1 margin, Berkshire mentioned at its annual assembly in Omaha, Nebraska.

Buffett, 91, has run Berkshire since 1965.

The Nationwide Authorized and Coverage Middle, a Berkshire shareholder, had mentioned it was poor company governance for the legendary investor to retain each roles.

Its proposal gained better consideration when Calpers, which invested $460 billion on April 28 and is the biggest U.S. public pension fund, expressed assist, because it has at different firms.

Berkshire’s board, nonetheless, mentioned Buffett ought to hold each roles. Buffett’s oldest son Howard Buffett, a Berkshire director, is predicted to turn out to be non-executive chairman when his father is not in cost.

By roughly 3-to-1 margins, shareholders additionally rejected proposals to have the corporate disclose extra concerning the climate-related dangers, greenhouse fuel emissions and variety efforts in its dozens of companies.

Berkshire’s board additionally opposed these proposals, saying its working companies already disclosed or appropriately managed environmental dangers, and had been dedicated to range, fairness and inclusion.

The proposals confronted lengthy odds to go, given Buffett’s management of 32% of Berkshire’s voting energy. He owns roughly 16% of Berkshire’s inventory.

Berkshire’s slate of 15 individuals to function administrators gained shareholder approval by an amazing margin.

Reporting by Carolina Mandl and Jonathan Stempel in Omaha, Nebraska
Enhancing by Nick Zieminski

: .