Tag: esg
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Texas fund adopts shareholder voting approach opposing ESG
The Texas Permanent School Fund announced last week that it will use a new proxy voting option from Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) referred to as the ESG skeptic option, which was developed by Bowyer Research. The move came after the fund generated headlines last month when it removed $8.5 billion from BlackRock’s asset management over…
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West Virginia adds four banks to restricted institution list over ESG policies
West Virginia Treasurer Riley Moore (R) announced April 8 that four large banks and financial services firms—Citigroup, TD Bank, HSBC, and The Northern Trust Company—were ineligible to do business with the state under a 2022 state law prohibiting contracts with businesses that boycott fossil fuel companies. The announcement came after Moore sent a letter to…
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Mississippi issues cease and desist order to BlackRock, warns of potential fines
Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson (R) on March 26, 2024, sent a cease and desist letter to BlackRock arguing the firm misled investors regarding the extent of its commitment to ESG strategies and threatened to fine the asset manager. Watson specifically said BlackRock’s claim that the firm’s non-ESG funds did not “seek to follow…
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Texas education fund pulls $8.5 billion from BlackRock
The Texas Permanent School Fund (TPSF) on March 19, 2024, pulled roughly $8.5 billion from BlackRock’s asset management. Texas State Board of Education Chairman Aaron Kinsey (R) argued that since BlackRock supported environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) investing through its boycott of the fossil fuel industry, state law prohibited BlackRock from managing public funds.…
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Appeals court pauses implementation of SEC climate rule
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on March 15 temporarily blocked the implementation of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) new rules on emissions data reporting while the court considers a lawsuit alleging the regulations exceed the SEC’s authority. Ballotpedia tracks support for and opposition to the environmental, social, and corporate governance…
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West Virginia treasurer sends letter to financial institutions over ESG practices
West Virginia Treasurer Riley Moore (R) sent a letter on February 22, 2024, to six banks—including Citibank, TD Bank, and HSBC—warning that they may be ineligible for contracts with the state in 45 days unless they show that they do not illegally boycott fossil fuel companies. Ballotpedia tracks support for and opposition to the environmental,…
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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,…