In the midst of a flurry of climate pledges coming from companies like Amazon, BlackRock, and S&P Global, a group of Republican politicians has launched a coordinated campaign against what they see as corporate engagement in "woke” environmental activism, effectively punishing companies for making climate commitments.

In Idaho, lawmakers want to prevent state government entities from investing in companies committed to ESG and sustainable investing. Similarly, politicians in Utah are heavily objecting to ESG risk assessments of states released by S&P Global, calling it "an undue politicization of the ratings process.” In West Virginia, state officials have decided to boycott BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management firm because CEO Larry Fink publicly acknowledged climate change as an economic risk. The state’s treasurer, Riley Moore, has even called environmentalism "an existential threat” that Republicans "have to fight back” on.

Despite some conservatives’ anti-climate agenda, companies remain unmoved in their climate commitments. Salesforce Co-founder Marc Benioff stated, "It’s not going to stop me. It’s pretty hard to restrict or control how a CEO creates the culture of his company.”

Why This Matters

As big corporations, universities, religious groups, and even some state and local governments have begun divesting from fossil fuels, some conservatives have notched up pressure for these entities to abandon their environmental pledges. If a Republican pushback succeeds and companies move away from making or keeping climate commitments, it could spell disaster for emissions reduction targets and the global commitment to keep warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius. Without curbing climate impacts, environmental disasters (already impacting US and global citizens) have the potential to grow exponentially, decimating the economy more than environmental activism ever could.

It's Time To Say "Climate" In Congress

According to polling, 60% of American adults believe that human activities are responsible for climate change and another 65% believe climate change is an emergency. These numbers mean an anti-climate stance is at odds with voter beliefs.

As the 2022 midterms loom, House Republicans are preparing a new, six-part climate and energy strategy they hope appeals to younger, more educated, suburban voters they now realize are turned off by climate denial. Developed by Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), "Energy, Climate, and Conservation” promotes innovation in the private sector but fails to target the high-emissions fossil fuel industry.

Understandably, some red states rely heavily on fossil fuels in their economies. Coal-state Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, for example, has been at the helm of climate policy hold-ups in the 50-50 Senate, where he went so far as to declare the Build Back Better bill as "dead” last December. But Manchin is starting to change his tune and signaling that he’s ready to make a compromise. And despite treasurer Moore’s statement that "all of our jobs come from coal and gas. This is part of our way of life here in the state,” it’s worth noting that according to the Department of Energy’s 2021 US Energy & Employment Jobs Report, the fossil fuel industry provided 937,700 jobs while energy efficiency (efficient lighting and HVACs) provided 2.1 million jobs.