This week in responsible investing, Trump announced his running mate would be J.D. Vance, who has spent his career championing anti-ESG legislation while raking in contributions from the oil and gas industry. And also at the RNC, the Leonard Leo-backed State Financial Officers Foundation met to lay out the new plan for opposing ESG at the state level. That and more, below:
UAF released a memo examining how American voters feel about responsible investing.
From the memo: As the Republican National Convention kicks off in Milwaukee, WI, Unlocking America’s Future (UAF) is reminding voters that responsible investing is popular and anti-ESG rhetoric is out of touch with the American electorate. Several policymakers taking the stage this week have opposed responsible investing, blacklisted financial institutions from engaging in ESG, and attempted to stop the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s climate risk disclosure rule. Anti-ESG policies have incurred hundreds of millions of dollars in state costs, burdening taxpayers and highlighting the growing disconnect between legislators and their constituents.
Donald Trump revealed he selected anti-ESG proponent J.D. Vance to be his running mate.
From UAF’s release: “Former President Trump’s move to nominate Senator Vance – a staunch opponent of responsible investing – is a clear signal that this ticket remains out of touch with the views of America’s voters,” said Kyle Herrig, spokesperson for Unlocking America’s Future. “Senator Vance has a long track record of sabotaging efforts to support responsible investing while taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from billionaires from the oil and gas industry. He has subsequently championed anti-ESG legislation and has not hesitated to use his platform to espouse misinformation around the importance of sustainable business practices and climate change. The majority of Americans support responsible investing and do not agree with politicians’ efforts to thwart its progress, period.”
At the RNC, anti-responsible investing group State Financial Officers Foundation previewed the next wave of state-level anti-responsible investing measures.
From UAF’s ICYMI: From POLITICO Morning Money: Financial officers have an especially important role to play in ensuring politics are never prioritized over profits when it comes to Americans’ hard-earned retirement and pension dollars,” SFOF CEO Derek Kreifels told POLITICO in a statement. “The State Financial Officers Foundation and our members are engaged with policymakers at all levels helping to educate them on the dangers of ESG and all efforts that run counter to fiduciary duty.”
Texas was named the worst state for quality of life in 2024.
From CNBC: Yes, we know. People are moving to the Lone Star State in droves. Some 220,000 educated workers moved there in 2022 alone, according to the Census Bureau. So how could we possibly score Texas at the bottom for Quality of Life? The fact is that people move to a state for any number of reasons. The ones arriving in Texas are encountering some serious livability issues, based on the data.
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