EXCLUSIVE: DEI continues to dominate the 2025 proxy season but shareholders are less willing to engage

As DEI has become a political lightning rod over the past few months, previously humdrum shareholder votes around diversity and inclusion have become major events. Apple, Costco, and John Deere, for example, all dealt with high-profile resolutions on anti-DEI proposals this year.

But while the idea of DEI continues to dominate the public discourse, shareholder willingness to engage on all DEI proposals—both for and against—has been steadily declining since 2021, according to a new report from The Conference Board...