Environmental and social transparency under the ... - ClientEarth

22 | Environmental and social transparency under the Companies Act 2006| 23This lack of transparency undermines the role that AGMs can play inproviding effective scrutiny to the reporting process, and ensuring thatcompanies are prepared to meet the challenges of the future. The lack oftransparency is also inappropriate in relation to the role that companiesplay in society, and the transparency that large and powerful entities arebroadly required to provide.There is therefore a need for legal provisions that ensure greater transparencyaround company AGMs. Specifically, the law should providemembers of the media with rights of access 34 so as to provide, in thepublic interest, independent accounts of events, and companies should berequired to publish the minutes of their AGMs in the same manner thatthey are required to publish their annual accounts and reports. 35ChaptersChapter 1: 25Governance of company accounting and reporting ofenvironmental and social impactsChapter 2: 43The ‘Company Law Review’ and the policy underpinningthe Companies Act 2006Chapter 3: 47Environmental and Social Issues: Business IssuesChapter 4: 61The business need to engage with environmental andsocial issues* * *