A broad range of private and public sector leaders are vocalizing their support to protect the freedom to invest responsibly. In addition to investors and companies, state financial officers, attorneys’ generals, banking associations, and academic leaders have issued supportive statements and/or provided commentary in the media.
Hundreds of investors and companies called on policymakers to protect their freedom to invest responsibly and reminded them of their responsibility to factor all material financial risks into decision-making.
A group of state financial officers said policies and laws that restrict who they do business with would reduce competition and restrict access to many high-quality managers, as well as have real costs for taxpayers.
More than 130 university faculty and academic researchers said the collection and release of environmental, social, and governance information — or ESG — is not political, but rather paramount for markets to function properly.
Five major U.S. health care systems released an open statement affirming their commitment to responsible business practices that take the severe public health and financial risks of the climate crisis into account.
Faith-based investment leaders sent a letter to members of Congress urging them to oppose the well-orchestrated and well-funded campaign seeking to block investors’ use of ESG factors as a framework to reduce long-term risk.
"Climate risk is financial risk. That is a cold, hard fact. To ignore it would be a dereliction of duty."
“Corporations increasingly realize that investing in sustainability is both good for our country, our environment, and public health, and good for their bottom lines. The state of Arizona is not going to stand in the way of corporations’ efforts to move in the right direction.”
"For policymakers to mandate willful ignorance about an entire category of risk and punish private companies because they might not share the same ideology is un-American and reckless. Americans deserve the freedom to take control of risks threatening their retirement savings."
“For years now, we have viewed climate risk as an investment risk. That’s still the case.”
“Maintaining a diverse investment portfolio is critical. Tying the hand of investors would create a competitive disadvantage.”
“I’m having very constructive conversations with a number of Republicans who see ESG the same way I do. An approach to managing material risks. Economic reality will ultimately triumph over political ideology.”
“For us, it's been well over a decade of integrating these considerations into our investment strategy. We feel it's worked well for us."
“The great irony here is that these opponents, who—guided by special interests—purport to mandate to investors which risks they can and cannot consider in their investments, are the ones who are truly politicizing investment to the great detriment of taxpayers and beneficiaries.”