Tag: ESG investing

  • UBS quits NZBA

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    UBS, Switzerland’s largest bank, announced Thursday it is leaving the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), joining several recent global departures from the coalition. UBS was a founding member of the NZBA and is the third major bank to leave in as many weeks. The departures could limit the alliance’s ability to set shared targets and monitor…

  • ESG opponents argue BlackRock still boycotts Texas energy

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    Consumers’ Research (CR), a nonprofit critical of ESG investing, and the American Energy Institute (AEI), an energy advocacy group, released a report arguing BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, is still boycotting Texas energy. The report contradicts BlackRock’s claims and those made by former Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar (R), who earlier this summer removed the…

  • Missouri attorney general investigates proxy advisory services

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    Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey (R) announced last week his office is investigating Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis, the two largest U.S. proxy advisory firms, alleging they prioritized political agendas over fiduciary duties in their voting recommendations. ISS and Glass Lewis have drawn recent attention in ESG debates. Critics argue their combined market…

  • States passed 27 bills either supporting or opposing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing this year

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    In case you’re not familiar, here’s a quick background on ESG. ESG investing is an asset management approach that considers environment, social issues, and corporate governance practices. It’s a type of stakeholder investing which says shareholder returns should not be the only goal. Stakeholder investing contrasts with traditional approaches that exclusively consider financial factors like…

  • Oregon governor signs ESG investing law

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    Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) signed the Climate Resilience Investment Act on June 26, directing the state’s $96 billion Public Employees Retirement System to study the effects of its investments on climate change and to “pursue the goal of reducing the carbon intensity of the fund.” The law is among the first to directly require…

  • Texas governor considers bill requiring proxy advisor disclosures

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    The Texas legislature passed a bill on June 2 requiring proxy advisory firms to disclose when their shareholder vote recommendations at Texas-based companies incorporate ESG or other non-financial considerations. If Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signs the bill, it would become the first law of its kind and give Texas companies new legal recourse when proxy…

  • Texas comptroller removes BlackRock from boycott list

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    What’s the story? Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced last week that his office removed BlackRock from the state’s list of firms barred from managing public investment funds over their treatment of fossil fuel companies. Hegar said BlackRock’s recent shift away from public ESG support made the firm eligible to do business with the state again.…

  • SEC ends defense of climate reporting rules

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    The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced last week that it voted to end its defense of the Biden-era corporate emissions reporting rules. The decision indicates the majority of current SEC commissioners do not support the implementation of the rules. Acting SEC Chair Mark Uyeda said the commission wanted to end its “defense of the…