About Freedom To Invest

The financial value of clean energy, the business risks of climate change, and the opportunities associated with building a stronger, more resilient economy are undeniable factors that investors and companies consider to ensure long-term shareholder value and profitability. Investors and companies remain firmly committed to business strategies that take all material financial risks and opportunities into account – from climate change to inflation to labor shortages – because it is a critical part of their job. The economic impacts of climate change, for example, which are estimated to cost $178 trillion over the next 50 years, pose significant risks to investment portfolios and business operations. Acting on these risks presents enormous opportunities in the economic transition to a clean energy future. However, some elected officials and special interests are working to ban investors and companies from considering the financial impacts of climate change and other material issues in decision-making.  While nearly half of U.S. states have introduced policies that would restrict businesses’ decision-making ability, many of these measures have failed or stalled in part due to private sector pushback over the economic impacts of such policies.  Hundreds of private and public sector leaders are mobilizing around a unified message to policymakers: Protect the Freedom to Invest Responsibly.  Freedom to Invest has rallied leaders from across the business world to remind policymakers that building profitable businesses and investment portfolios demands an analysis of all material financial factors. The economy will be stronger and more resilient if businesses are free to make their own investment decisions.  Policies that restrict investors and companies from considering all factors encroach on businesses’ freedoms and defy responsible business and put the national economy at risk.