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This week in responsible investing, UAF released a report detailing how Texas politicians, who are avoiding climate preparedness measures, are putting their state at risk. Along that same vein, Trump reminded big oil donors that he has their backs onstage at the RNC. That and more, below:

An Oklahoma judge blocked the state’s anti-ESG law.

From FOX25: Walke said the law preventing investment in companies who don’t support oil and gas doesn’t benefit all Okahomans. “Taxpayers should want the state government to invest their money to get the highest return, period,” he said. “This act is set up in such a way where taxpayer dollars can actually go to harm pension beneficiaries because its purpose is to protect a different industry, not the pension beneficiaries.” His argument is that if an environmentally friendly company is making the state money, that’s a benefit to the state.

Deloitte released two reports revealing executives are increasingly focusing on responsible investing.

From UAF’s round up: Two new reports published by global professional services company Deloitte reveal that business leaders are making significant progress towards expanding ESG practices and reporting capabilities, and taking ESG into larger consideration when making business deals. The 2024 Sustainability Action Report underscored the growing prevalence of responsible investing in leading industries, noting that in the past year, 85 percent of company executives report making significant or moderate progress towards company sustainability goals. A second Deloitte survey–the 2024 ESG in M&A Trends Survey–examined the growing role of ESG in mergers and acquisitions (M&A). The report found that responsible investing is a growing factor influencing dealmaking among M&A leaders, with 74 percent of executives claiming they have evaluated their portfolios from an ESG perspective. 

UAF released a new report revealing Texas politicians are endangering their state by neglecting climate preparedness to score political points.

From UAF’s release: “This new research makes clear that Texas lawmakers are prioritizing politics and the interests of greedy billionaires over the safety and wellbeing of Texas citizens in the face of escalating climate hazards,” said Kyle Herrig, spokesperson for Unlocking America’s Future. “Texas lawmakers must protect the safety and economic security of their constituents. Texas voters overwhelmingly recognize that the self-serving politicians leading this extreme policy agenda are working on behalf of their billionaire campaign donors and neglecting the real issues impacting the state.”

Last week at the Republican National Convention, Trump reminded big oil donors of the many promises he’s made to have their back. UAF shined a light on those donors. 

From UAF’s ICYMI: During his primetime speech at last week’s Republican National Convention, former President Donald Trump doubled down on his quid pro quo scheme with billionaires from the oil and gas industry, stating at one point: “We have more liquid gold under our feet than any other country by far, we are a nation that has the opportunity to make an absolute fortune with its energy.”

UAF followed up on this claim by releasing research on three of his major donors: Tim Dunn, CEO of Crownquest, Chris Wright, CEO of Liberty Energy, and Kelcy Warren, Executive Chairman of Energy Transfer.

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