Pleiades Strategy

These bills are deeply unpopular, but thanks to aggressive lobbying, some passed this session. Learn more: ⤵️
buff.ly/hTKPxFU

Debanking bills were the most prevalent “anti-ESG” bill in 2025 (20+ introduced). Proponents twist civil rights language to push banks to provide services to gun manufacturers, fossil fuel corporations, and Christian nationalist groups—despite the financial and reputation risks.

Something you might have missed in our 2025 Statehouse Report: Fossil fuel lobbyists now work hand in hand with right-wing extremists to force businesses to work with risky industries using controversial “debanking” bills. Let’s unpack that 💼

Read the full report: buff.ly/hTKPxFU

What the clean energy movement needs *now* is action from realistic state lawmakers and executives who are ready and willing to protect businesses aiming to honestly face the climate crisis and embrace clean energy.

Anti-ESG started with efforts to restrict pension funds and public investors. Now, the groups behind anti-ESG are framing fossil fuel companies with civil rights language as “discriminated against" in the free market (despite being outcompeted by clean energy at every turn).

Anti-ESG is still here, and anti-climate legislators are eager to undermine the clean energy transition that’s well underway — jobs, profits, and free markets be damned. Protecting fossil fuels has always been the goal of anti-ESG legislation.

See the report: buff.ly/hTKPxFU

The upshot: a huge opportunity for leadership. Clean energy is winning. The report calls on the private sector and lawmakers in blue states not to abandon climate action, even in the face of attacks and setbacks. And the people paying for climate change will stand with them.

From Pleiades founder and report author Frances Sawyer: “Right-wing extremists, backed by the fossil fuel sector, have succeeded in undermining responsible climate investment policy in several states across the country under the framework of ‘anti-ESG’ legislation.”

Our 2025 Statehouse Report is here, mapping how "anti-ESG" forces have escalated attacks on climate risk management under a fossil fuel-friendly administration. From the 106 bills introduced, it’s clear these grps are throwing their full weight behind protecting fossil fuels.

Bottom line: Anti-ESG bills are still unpopular and expensive for investors, pensions, municipalities, and taxpayers, all while seriously undermining efforts in the public and private sectors to face climate risk head-on.

Read the full report here ⬇️
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Like in previous years, even the bills that didn’t pass resulted in a chilling effect (“greenhushing”) reinforced by climate-hostile politicians, impairing corporate decisionmaking at the worst possible time.

Some tactics this year:

➡️Hijacking civil rights language
➡️Going after proxy advisors with threats of fines/lawsuits
➡️Protecting fossil fuels, Big Ag, & gun manufacturers
And more…

📣Proud to announce the release of Pleiades Strategy’s 2025 Statehouse Report recapping the 106 "anti-ESG" bills introduced and 10 passed in state legislatures this year. The takeaway: Anti-ESG actors are emboldened and evolving, chilling the climate action landscape 🧵

Live Anti-ESG State Legislation Tracker — Pleiades Strategy Since 2022, Pleiades has tracked the Republican legislative attacks on freedom to invest responsibly. These anti-ESG bills and laws have been introduced in states across America to curtail the…

There’s a lot to track when it comes to anti-ESG bills across the U.S. Fortunately, our Live Anti-ESG State Action Tracker is tracking developments in real time.
🔗 Bookmark it buff.ly/yeGBX4w

2. Meanwhile (as we predicted in our 2025 State Policy Outlook) the anti-ESG crowd is pretending they’re on the side of small farmers. But don’t be fooled. So-called farm-friendly bills are boons for Big Ag, not for farmers.
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1. The backlash is growing. OK lawmakers want to amend their own ESG law after it cost municipalities $180M in borrowing costs. AR added cost-savings loopholes. More proof that anti-ESG laws are costly, unpopular, and getting harder to defend.

🏛️With just weeks left in state legislative sessions, 103 anti-ESG bills are still moving in 31 states. Only 5 have become law. Here are the major themes we’re tracking:

🔗https://www.americanprogress.org/article/inside-trumps-plan-to-sell-out-americas-public-lands-to-mining/

Here’s the thing: We *do* need minerals for the clean energy transition, but not like this. As @americanprogress.bsky.social puts it, we must do it with “ intentional protection of communities and the environment, rather than brazen development on some of the nation’s greatest natural assets.”

This isn’t about energy security. It’s a giveaway to foreign-owned mining companies. In April, Trump opened parts of the Mojave Desert to exploration—despite no evidence of viable rare earth deposits. Now he wants to do it everywhere.

🚨 Trump’s new executive order calls for a coast-to-coast mining spree on U.S. public lands. His goal? Extract “critical” minerals for tech and energy—no matter the cost to our public lands or our communities.

“How can the public meaningfully engage…without any insight into what’s coming?” asks SELC’s Bob Sherrier. Great question. GA’s energy future shouldn’t be decided in secret.
🔗https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/utilities/georgia-power-plan-gas-expansion

And the plan doesn’t just put decarbonization at risk—it ignores real clean energy successes. Per GA Senator Warnock, the IRA has already brought 42K+ jobs and $52B in investment to GA. Why stall that momentum?

The secretive IFP process means Georgia Power’s plans get pushed through with minimal public input, via a PSC that’s cozy with industry.

🚩Georgia Power’s new Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) is raising red flags. It expands fossil fuel production, and doesn’t explain how to get the 9.5 GW in new capacity it calls for.

So far, states aren’t backing down – no matter how far Trump is willing to go to put polluters over people.
🔗 www.cnn.com/2025/05/02/c...

Columbia Law’s Michael Gerrard: “It’s an intimidation tactic, and it’s telling the fossil fuel companies how much Trump loves them.”
www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news...

Legal experts are calling it “highly unusual.” The DOJ isn’t just opposing climate action, it’s behaving like the polluters’ in-house counsel. Meanwhile, Trump’s EPA is working to undo the science underpinning the Clean Air Act itself.