Tag: ESG initiatives
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Financial institutions pull $14 trillion from ESG initiative
J.P. Morgan Chase and State Street Global Advisors—two of the largest asset managers in the world—withdrew on February 15 from Climate Action 100+, an asset manager initiative aimed at making companies reduce their carbon emissions through environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) investing. BlackRock, the largest asset manager in the world, announced it would reduce…
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BlackRock CEO seeks firm’s removal from Texas prohibited asset manager list
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink petitioned Texas elected officials to remove the firm from the state’s prohibited asset manager list at an energy investment summit on February 6. BlackRock has not been eligible to manage public assets in Texas since August 24, 2022, when Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar (R) released a list of companies and funds…
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Missouri Democrats continue pushback against rule opposing ESG
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R) published a rule last July restricting the use of ESG in public investment strategies. The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) filed a lawsuit in August claiming that the regulation conflicted with federal law. Judge Stephen R. Bough of the U.S. District Court for the Western District…
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State agriculture commissioners join ESG pushback
Agriculture commissioners from 12 states sent a letter on January 29 to the heads of six banks, arguing that ESG efforts to promote net-zero carbon policies would hurt farmers and inflate consumer food prices. Ballotpedia tracks support for and opposition to the environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) investing movement. To learn more about arguments…
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State attorneys general continue pushback against federal ESG labor rule
Attorneys general from 26 states are opposing the implementation of the U.S. Department of Labor’s rule permitting ESG considerations in Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)-governed pension plans in court. The states filed an appeal late last week seeking to reverse the dismissal of their case. Ballotpedia tracks support for and opposition to the environmental,…
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Recapping the top five stories of the pro-ESG movement in 2023
Ballotpedia’s Economy & Society newsletter on Jan. 16 recapped the following top five noteworthy developments supporting ESG from 2023: To read the full recap, click here. To read our breakdown of the biggest developments opposing ESG in 2023 click here. Ballotpedia tracks support for and opposition to the environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) investing…
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House committee issues more subpoenas related to ESG practices
The House Judiciary Committee issued more subpoenas last week in its ongoing investigation into whether some finance companies may have violated antitrust laws through their ESG investing practices. The subpoenas include requests for information from the heads of BlackRock and State Street, specifically. Ballotpedia tracks support for and opposition to the environmental, social, and corporate…
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New York Supreme Court could hear case opposing ESG investment by NYC pension plans
Four New York City employees, with the help of nonprofit legal organization Americans for Fair Treatment, filed a lawsuit in May opposing New York City pension plans’ environmental investment considerations. The court, according to E&E News, could be the first to hear a legal claim against investment managers who consider ESG. Ballotpedia tracks support for…
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Pensioner sues Oklahoma over ESG restrictions
Former Oklahoma state employee Don Keenan is suing the state, alleging that the Oklahoma law prohibiting state contracts with financial firms that boycott oil, gas, and other types of companies violates the U.S. Constitution and federal law. Keenan says he thinks oil and gas are important economically but argues the law, in his view, imposes…
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House Republicans continue pushback against ESG considerations in retirement plans
House Republicans again pushed back on the Biden administration’s rule allowing ESG considerations in investments governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on the matter on November 7. The Republicans on the committee released a statement after the hearing arguing that, in…