Voters Support Transition to 100% Clean Economy
A survey of 2,047 registered U.S. voters on support for transitioning to clean energy and away from natural gas and other fossil fuels.
Finance Media Monitor | 9.27.23
SPOTLIGHT Expect a load of Republican disinformation about the proposed SEC climate disclosure rule today as Chair Gary Gensler testifies before the House Financial Services Committee. Elizabeth Warren and 24 other Democrats applied pressure on the SEC prior to the hearing to push out a strong reporting …
Finance Media Monitor | 9.26.23
SPOTLIGHT Deutsche Bank’s investment arm, DWS, reached a $19 million settlement with the SEC to resolve allegations that it overstated its use of ESG factors in its funds. DWS did not admit or deny the charges, but accepted two cease-and-desist orders related …
Finance Media Monitor | 9.20.23
SPOTLIGHT Skyrocketing property insurance premiums burden Americans across the country, yet a new report says premiums aren’t rising fast enough to accurately reflect climate risk. An estimated 39 million US homes are insured at suppressed prices compared to actual climate risk, and nearly 6.8 million of those …
Finance Media Monitor | 9.19.23
SPOTLIGHT Almost 150 climate protesters were arrested in New York for blocking the Federal Reserve entrance in a call for financial regulators to curb fossil fuel funding. The act of civil disobedience—one of New York’s largest in a decade—followed Sunday’s estimated 75,000-person March …
Energy, Issue Areas
Why the Rise in Offshore Wind Costs is Temporary
Despite the short-term concerns, the offshore wind sector is well positioned to weather the challenges and come out delivering affordable, reliable energy along with myriad climate, health, and economic benefits as the U.S. industry matures.
Finance Media Monitor | 8.28.23
SPOTLIGHT Saudi Aramco is under United Nations investigation for potential human rights violations linked to climate change. The UN’s human rights and transnational corporates working group is examining allegations against the world’s biggest fossil-fuel producer, claiming Aramco has violated Paris Agreement goals …
Finance Media Monitor | 8.25.23
SPOTLIGHT Polluting companies would face a hefty price tag if they actually had to pay for their climate damage. The cost of emitted carbon pollution would eat up 44% of profits for the nearly 15,000 companies, with 90% of the calculated damage …
Finance Media Monitor | 8.24.23
SPOTLIGHT Chaos erupted at last night’s debate after Republican presidential candidates were asked if they would calm younger voters’ concerns that the party doesn’t care about climate change. A chorus of boos rained down on candidate Vivek Ramaswamy when he claimed the ‘climate change …
Finance Media Monitor | 8.23.23
SPOTLIGHT Washington D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb is investigating anti-ESG ringleader Leonard Leo and his dark money ring. While the scope of the probe is unclear, it likely has to do with multi-million dollar payments—totaling $73 million over six years—made from Leo’s …
Finance Media Monitor | 8.22.23
SPOTLIGHT JPMorgan Chase & Co. is voluntarily complying with new European Union sustainability disclosure regulations. The firm issued a principal adverse impact (PAI) statement, which provides a set of metrics to help clients compare asset managers based on negative ESG impact. In …
Finance Media Monitor | 8.16.23
SPOTLIGHT New York City pension funds asked the state’s Supreme Court to dismiss a lawsuit against them for divesting from fossil fuels. The funds argue that the plaintiffs are “wasting the Court’s time” and trying to protect companies that repeatedly uplift fossil fuels despite the …
Finance Media Monitor | 8.15.23
SPOTLIGHT The SEC’s enforcement division has issued subpoenas to several asset managers, seeking details on their ESG investment marketing strategies, in a push to eliminate greenwashing. Those under scrutiny include traditional investment funds that have pivoted to ESG funds, as well as funds …
Finance Media Monitor | 8.14.23
SPOTLIGHT McDonald’s Corp. has removed the term “ESG” from parts of its website, coinciding with Republican criticism of environmental, social, and governance initiatives. At the same time, concerns over the clarity and consistency of ESG scoring have led Norway’s sovereign wealth fund to support …
Finance Media Monitor | 8.10.23
SPOTLIGHT S&P has switched from numbers to narrative when rating ESG factors. It is a welcome move to focus on a clearer qualitative assessment of investments instead of complex, sometimes contradictory scores across different parts of a company’s activities. Investors have found S&Ps …
Finance Media Monitor | 8.09.23
SPOTLIGHT Even as insurers cite climate risk as the reason for dropping out of volatile markets, a new report reveals U.S. insurers held $536 billion in fossil-fuel related assets in 2019. The report, conducted by Ceres, ERM, and Persefoni, found that the top …
Finance Media Monitor | 8.08.23
SPOTLIGHT Barclays classified a $10 billion revolving credit facility for Shell as “social and environmental financing,” helping Barclays reach its $150 billion sustainable financing goal. Regulators are concerned that these climate commitments are a dishonest attempt to continue funding fossil fuels, even if …
Finance Media Monitor | 8.07.23
SPOTLIGHT A recent Financial Times op-ed highlights three inherent inconsistencies within sustainable investing that make it difficult to implement effectively and consistently. 1. Contradictions between ESG goals and actions: Recent events including the UK government’s decision to issue new North Sea oil and gas licenses …
Finance Media Monitor | 8.03.23
SPOTLIGHT “Climate cartel” has become a popular anti-climate action buzzword both on social media and in the halls of power. A new Fortune op-ed refutes these false accusations, stating climate alliances are permissible under U.S. antitrust law as they focus on collaborative …
Energy
Where the Clean Energy Jobs Are: 2023
Over 3.2 million people worked in clean energy jobs according to the 2023 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, which uses data from 2022.