BlackRock's response
BlackRock Investment Stewardship’s (BIS) benchmark policies (Global Principles, regional voting guidelines, and five engagement priorities), which we are entrusted to apply to the large majority of our clients’ assets, take a financial materiality-based approach and are focused solely on advancing clients' financial interests.
Transparency helps our clients understand how the work we do on their behalf aligns with their long-term financial interests. Available on the BIS webpage is a library of materials available for clients and other stakeholders on our stewardship activities. BIS publishes on its webpage its voting record, annual report, annual voting spotlight and engagement report (to provide transparency into the range of topics on which BIS has engaged companies on behalf of our clients. See page 33 for Kroger).