Cathay Financial Holding Co Ltd – Lobbying Governance & Transparency

Sign up to access all our data and the evidence and analysis underlying our overall scores. Once you've created an account, we'll get in touch with further details:

Lobbying Governance

Overall Assessment	Analysis	Score
Moderate	Cathay Financial Holding Co Ltd demonstrates a moderate governance framework for its lobbying by instituting an internal approval process and oversight structures but stops short of fully governing its indirect activities. It states that its “Cathay FHC CS Committee regularly reviews material issues and target setting, reporting stakeholder engagement to the Board of Directors annually,” and mandates “internal discussion before issuing a statement or before engagement,” which must undergo “review and approval by the president and the leader of the responsible investment working group – the Chief Investment Officer.” Its “Code of Operation Integrity” and “Code of Conduct” require that “participation in public affairs should be conducted legally, and all donations should be disclosed truthfully and in accordance with the law,” and it affirms a commitment “to conduct your engagement activities in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.” However, the company does not disclose any process for assessing or aligning the climate-policy positions of its key associations or a dedicated audit of climate-related lobbying activities, and it provides no further detail on how indirect lobbying through trade associations is monitored or enforced against its climate objectives. View Sources	C

Overall Assessment

Analysis

Score

Moderate

Cathay Financial Holding Co Ltd demonstrates a moderate governance framework for its lobbying by instituting an internal approval process and oversight structures but stops short of fully governing its indirect activities. It states that its “Cathay FHC CS Committee regularly reviews material issues and target setting, reporting stakeholder engagement to the Board of Directors annually,” and mandates “internal discussion before issuing a statement or before engagement,” which must undergo “review and approval by the president and the leader of the responsible investment working group – the Chief Investment Officer.” Its “Code of Operation Integrity” and “Code of Conduct” require that “participation in public affairs should be conducted legally, and all donations should be disclosed truthfully and in accordance with the law,” and it affirms a commitment “to conduct your engagement activities in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.” However, the company does not disclose any process for assessing or aligning the climate-policy positions of its key associations or a dedicated audit of climate-related lobbying activities, and it provides no further detail on how indirect lobbying through trade associations is monitored or enforced against its climate objectives.

View Sources

Lobbying Transparency

Overall Assessment	Analysis	Score
Comprehensive	Cathay Financial Holdings has provided comprehensive transparency around its climate lobbying. It clearly names the specific policies it has engaged on, including the “FSC Guidelines for Domestic Banks’ Climate Risk Financial Disclosure,” the “Taiwan Sustainable Finance Taxonomy,” and the “Taiwan regulatory climate-related risk stress test for domestic banks.” It also discloses detailed lobbying mechanisms and targets, such as chairing the “Financial Holding Company Business Committee of the Bankers Association of ROC” to promote the “TCFD Best Practices Handbook,” collaborating with central government agencies and research bodies on the Taiwan Sustainable Finance Taxonomy, and leading the regulatory climate-change stress test group hosted by Taiwan FSC and the Central Bank. Finally, it explicitly states the outcomes it seeks, including “assist companies in transitioning towards a low-carbon future,” “guide them to join the green supply chain,” and “allocate more funding towards zero-carbon technologies,” and aligns its lobbying with the Paris Agreement by supporting policies “without exceptions.”	A