£262bn investor says it will target bosses who fail on climate or human rights

Aviva Investors says voting at AGMs will be influenced by policies on climate, human rights, biodiversity and executive pay

Aviva Investors, an important UK asset manager, has put the directors of 1,500 companies on notice that it is willing to seek their removal if they fail to show enough urgency in tackling issues including the climate crisis and human rights.

The firm said the way it votes on the re-election of company board members in the upcoming AGM season would be heavily influenced by its four key stewardship priorities for the year, which also include biodiversity and executive pay.