GOP’s battle on ESG might come again to chew it • TechCrunch

Failing to deal with local weather change by way of investments endangers constituents (and the financial system)

Lower than two months earlier than Hurricane Ian swept throughout Florida, its governor, Ron DeSantis, referred to ESG investing as a hazard to financial freedom.

His workplace even launched a press release saying the observe sought to “advance a woke ideological agenda,” and that buyers making an allowance for environmental, social and governance-related issues into their choices have been a part of the “company cartel elites,” whose “victims” embrace conservative Individuals, those that help the Second Modification and soon-to-be retirees.

Naturally, he then proposed that Florida State Board of Administration fund managers ought to be banned from taking ESG knowledge into consideration whereas investing Florida pension cash.

By September, Florida was hit by Hurricane Ian, one of many strongest storms to make landfall within the state in latest reminiscence. Cities have been decimated, folks died and roadways collapsed.

DeSantis, who as soon as opposed an assist package deal for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, known as upon President Joe Biden for reduction. He’s strolling a superb line in addressing the aftermaths of climate-exacerbated disasters whereas conserving simply sufficient distance to pander to his base.

One may assume ESG investing could be common in Florida, given its coastal standing, historical past of lethal storms and elevated chance of getting cities flooded by the ocean. The Sunshine State stands to see an earlier and extra harmful affect from local weather change than different areas of the U.S.

ESG investing, on this sense, might have an effect on its local weather disaster, even when modestly.

But the subject of ESG investing is caught within the webs of a right-wing political motion. It’s too ironic that states corresponding to Florida and Texas, that are more likely to expertise a number of the most extreme penalties of local weather change, are caught with leaders seemingly doing all they’ll to make issues worse.