ROCKVILLE, Md. (November 25, 2025) — ISS Governance, a leading global provider of independent and objective shareholder meeting research and vote recommendations and a unit of ISS STOXX, today announced updates to its 2026 Benchmark proxy voting policies. The updated policies will generally be applied for shareholder meetings taking place on or after Feb. 1, 2026.
Each year, ISS Governance conducts a robust, inclusive, and transparent global policy development process to review and update the ISS Benchmark voting policies for the upcoming year. The global policy development process is led by the ISS Global Policy Board, and incorporates an assessment of emerging issues, relevant regulatory changes, and notable trends seen across global, regional, and individual markets, plus relevant academic research, and empirical studies. Views and input are gathered from a broad range of institutional investors, companies, and other market participants worldwide through a variety of channels and over a number of months, and a public comment period is provided on proposed policy changes before finalizing the updates for the following year.
As previously announced, on October 30 ISS opened its annual public comment period inviting institutional investors, corporate issuers, and other interested parties to provide views and feedback on 19 significant proposed benchmark policy changes for 2026. The comment period, which ran through November 12, sought feedback on the proposed policy changes and also invited feedback on ongoing considerations regarding ISS director overboarding policies for future years. ISS received 28 responses to the comment period proposals from 12 respondent organizations. The majority of comments were from institutional investors, both asset owners and asset managers, with a smaller number from others, including companies and company advisors. All comments received were reviewed and considered.
For the Executive Summary of the 2026 Benchmark Policy Updates, including a complete list of all changes globally, click here. For full details of the policy updates, provided by region, click here for the Americas, here for EMEA, and here for Asia Pacific.
“For more than two decades, ISS has undertaken a thoughtful and inclusive approach to updating its Benchmark voting policies, considering the views of a broad range of institutional investors, companies, and other interested market constituents by eliciting feedback through ISS’ annual benchmark policy survey, policy roundtables and other meetings, and through our public open comment period on proposed changes,” said Georgina Marshall, Chair of the ISS Global Policy Board. “ISS’ clients include some of the most sophisticated institutional investors across the world and our transparent, market-based approach to evolving the proprietary policies that are the basis of ISS’ informed and independent benchmark research and voting recommendations continue to help support investors in making informed voting decisions consistent with their stewardship responsibilities and fiduciary duties.”
For further details on the ISS Governance’s 2026 Benchmark policy updates, as well as for all current ISS voting policies and related information, please visit the ISS Policy Gateway.
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About ISS Governance
Founded in 1985 as Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS), ISS Governance is a leading global provider of independent and objective shareholder meeting research and recommendations, providing multiple voting policy choices as well as end-to-end workflow solutions for institutional investors. More than 1,600 clients worldwide utilize ISS Governance’s actionable expertise to help them make informed investment stewardship decisions, and to help them manage their voting responsibilities. Covering over 50,000 meetings annually, ISS Governance leverages its extensive global footprint, deep experience, high quality data and analysis, unified client support, and technology infrastructure to continuously evolve and extend its innovative suite of solutions to meet clients’ evolving portfolio, fiduciary, and stewardship requirements. Learn more at: https://www.issgovernance.com/solutions/proxy-voting-services/
About ISS STOXX
ISS STOXX GmbH, through its group companies, is a leading provider of comprehensive and data-centric research and technology solutions that help capital market participants identify investment opportunities, detect qualitative and quantitative portfolio company risks, and meet evolving regulatory requirements. With roots dating back to 1985, we today deliver world-class benchmark and custom indices across asset classes and geographies and serve as a premier source of independent corporate governance, sustainability, cyber risk, and fund intelligence research, data, and related offerings. Our products and services give clients the scale and leverage they need to grow their business more effectively and efficiently. ISS STOXX, which is majority owned by Deutsche Börse Group, is comprised of more than 3,800 professionals operating across 30 global locations in 20 countries. Its approximately 5,500 clients include many of the world’s leading institutional investors who turn to ISS STOXX for its objective and varied offerings, as well as companies focused on ESG, cyber, and governance risk mitigation as a shareholder value enhancing measure. Clients rely on ISS STOXX’s expertise to help them make informed decisions to benefit their stakeholders.
Media Contact:
Izabella Nagy
Communications Analyst
press@iss-stoxx.com
ISS Governance Announces 2026 Benchmark Policy Updates
ROCKVILLE, Md. (November 25, 2025) — ISS Governance, a leading global provider of independent and objective shareholder meeting research and vote recommendations and a unit of ISS STOXX, today announced updates to its 2026 Benchmark proxy voting policies. The updated policies will generally be applied for shareholder meetings taking place on or after Feb. 1, 2026.
Each year, ISS Governance conducts a robust, inclusive, and transparent global policy development process to review and update the ISS Benchmark voting policies for the upcoming year. The global policy development process is led by the ISS Global Policy Board, and incorporates an assessment of emerging issues, relevant regulatory changes, and notable trends seen across global, regional, and individual markets, plus relevant academic research, and empirical studies. Views and input are gathered from a broad range of institutional investors, companies, and other market participants worldwide through a variety of channels and over a number of months, and a public comment period is provided on proposed policy changes before finalizing the updates for the following year.
As previously announced, on October 30 ISS opened its annual public comment period inviting institutional investors, corporate issuers, and other interested parties to provide views and feedback on 19 significant proposed benchmark policy changes for 2026. The comment period, which ran through November 12, sought feedback on the proposed policy changes and also invited feedback on ongoing considerations regarding ISS director overboarding policies for future years. ISS received 28 responses to the comment period proposals from 12 respondent organizations. The majority of comments were from institutional investors, both asset owners and asset managers, with a smaller number from others, including companies and company advisors. All comments received were reviewed and considered.
For the Executive Summary of the 2026 Benchmark Policy Updates, including a complete list of all changes globally, click here. For full details of the policy updates, provided by region, click here for the Americas, here for EMEA, and here for Asia Pacific.
“For more than two decades, ISS has undertaken a thoughtful and inclusive approach to updating its Benchmark voting policies, considering the views of a broad range of institutional investors, companies, and other interested market constituents by eliciting feedback through ISS’ annual benchmark policy survey, policy roundtables and other meetings, and through our public open comment period on proposed changes,” said Georgina Marshall, Chair of the ISS Global Policy Board. “ISS’ clients include some of the most sophisticated institutional investors across the world and our transparent, market-based approach to evolving the proprietary policies that are the basis of ISS’ informed and independent benchmark research and voting recommendations continue to help support investors in making informed voting decisions consistent with their stewardship responsibilities and fiduciary duties.”
For further details on the ISS Governance’s 2026 Benchmark policy updates, as well as for all current ISS voting policies and related information, please visit the ISS Policy Gateway.
###
About ISS Governance
Founded in 1985 as Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS), ISS Governance is a leading global provider of independent and objective shareholder meeting research and recommendations, providing multiple voting policy choices as well as end-to-end workflow solutions for institutional investors. More than 1,600 clients worldwide utilize ISS Governance’s actionable expertise to help them make informed investment stewardship decisions, and to help them manage their voting responsibilities. Covering over 50,000 meetings annually, ISS Governance leverages its extensive global footprint, deep experience, high quality data and analysis, unified client support, and technology infrastructure to continuously evolve and extend its innovative suite of solutions to meet clients’ evolving portfolio, fiduciary, and stewardship requirements. Learn more at: https://www.issgovernance.com/solutions/proxy-voting-services/
About ISS STOXX
ISS STOXX GmbH, through its group companies, is a leading provider of comprehensive and data-centric research and technology solutions that help capital market participants identify investment opportunities, detect qualitative and quantitative portfolio company risks, and meet evolving regulatory requirements. With roots dating back to 1985, we today deliver world-class benchmark and custom indices across asset classes and geographies and serve as a premier source of independent corporate governance, sustainability, cyber risk, and fund intelligence research, data, and related offerings. Our products and services give clients the scale and leverage they need to grow their business more effectively and efficiently. ISS STOXX, which is majority owned by Deutsche Börse Group, is comprised of more than 3,800 professionals operating across 30 global locations in 20 countries. Its approximately 5,500 clients include many of the world’s leading institutional investors who turn to ISS STOXX for its objective and varied offerings, as well as companies focused on ESG, cyber, and governance risk mitigation as a shareholder value enhancing measure. Clients rely on ISS STOXX’s expertise to help them make informed decisions to benefit their stakeholders.
Media Contact:
Izabella Nagy
Communications Analyst
press@iss-stoxx.com
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