Climate Finance

Companies and investors across sectors recognize the importance of managing climate related risks. At Pleiades, we help clients and partners understand the fast moving climate finance regulatory landscape so they can move faster, more boldly, and with greater intention.

Climate Risk is Financial Risk

The climate crisis has profound consequences for global financial and economic security.

Greater climate instability is expected to lead to trillions in losses annually by the end of the century. These risks are and will continue to put the most vulnerable at the most risk — but no part of the global economy will be protected from harms. This is why climate risk mitigation today is important for companies, investors and regulators alike.

The financial sector’s response to the climate crisis and energy transition is and will be a key driver of systemic and investment-specific economic performance — as well as a determining factor of the opportunities future generations will have to thrive. The financial sector has the ability to make or break a just transition that delivers for people and delivers shared prosperity today and for generations to come. 

Anti-ESG Legislation

Since 2022, Pleiades has tracked rightwing state legislation attacking environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing. This effort represents a coordinated backlash against the growing incorporation of climate risk and emissions pathways into corporate governance, alongside other key social factors. Anti-ESG bills have weaponized the tools of state financial regulation and investment — such as state contracting, public pension management, insurance regulation, and financial disclosures — to prop up preferred industries, like fossil fuels and firearms manufacturers. They have faced opposition from diverse stakeholders from business, labor, financial officers, retirees, climate activists, and others.

For more details, read our 2024 Statehouse Report, 2023 Statehouse Report or visit our Live Anti-ESG Bill Tracker.

2023 Statehouse Report

The Pleiades 2023 Statehouse Report was the first comprehensive look at the Republican Anti-ESG legislative campaign and the broad effort by businesses, labor leaders, environmentalists, and financial officers to counter it. The report provides a deep analysis of the legislation proposed in 37 states — where these bills came from, who sponsored them, who supported and opposed them, and how they fared.