At a House Judiciary Committee hearing held last week, Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI) spoke about ESG investing.
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Thank you. I yield back.
00:02Generally yields back. The gentleman from Wisconsin is now recognized for five minutes.
00:06Ms. Luber, in your 2022 annual report, you boasted that one of your key impacts for the year was being able to claim $62 trillion in assets under management by your members.
00:19That's a significant share of the investment market. Wouldn't you agree?
00:23Yes.
00:24Ceres has signed the net zero asset managers agreement. By signing on to that effort, your company has agreed to coordinate with over 300 other financial institutions to accelerate the transition towards global net zero emissions.
00:39Would you say that Ceres and its investor networks work together towards this shared goal?
00:45We share information. Every asset manager who is part of the net zero asset manager enterprise.
00:53Has their own goals. They're all different and they all do it independently.
01:00But you do that through communication with institutional investors, proxy advisor firms, other shareholders, correct?
01:06We share information.
01:07So in other words, you collaborate with members of your investor network, correct?
01:12Collaborate by some definition, yes. Not as it's been leading to meaning something else.
01:19We work with a number of investors who look for information, background facts on the financial implications of climate change.
01:27But you're aware that collaboration to reduce, and you just said limited collaboration, whatever it might be, the reduced production is in a violation of antitrust law.
01:35Yeah.
01:36Why is this different?
01:38We are not making decisions for anyone.
01:40We are not bringing people together to make joint decisions.
01:44We are sharing information on the financial risk of climate, whether it's $95 billion to the U.S. economy, to the insurance sector.
01:53That's our role. That is not.
01:56Are there repercussions for signatories who fail to abide by their commitments?
02:00There are not.
02:02So according to this committee's interim staff report, if a company like BlackRock were not living up to its commitments,
02:08asset owners could decide to move their money elsewhere to be managed, which could mean billions of dollars in lost revenue to BlackRock.
02:15Well, the only thing I've seen along those lines is the state of Texas pulling billions of dollars out of BlackRock,
02:23who's managing their funds, which is having a negative impact on the taxpayers of Texas.
02:30We have not caused—
02:31So what you're saying is, has Ceres or any of its affiliates taken any retaliatory action against—
02:37Absolutely not.
02:38—a signatory for failure to abide by the commitments?
02:40Emphatically no.
02:41Ms. Lamb, Arjuna publicly advertises divestments from oil and gas, the firearms industry, and other industries it deems controversial.
02:53Arjuna has also joined initiatives that pressure companies and clients to align with its values.
02:59For example, Arjuna previously submitted a shareholder proposal to Exxon asking them to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
03:07and to disclose new plans, targets, timetables for their reductions.
03:11Is that correct?
03:14Prior to this hearing, my counsel sent a letter to Chairman Jordan and Chairman Massey
03:19and had conversations with both counsel for the majority and counsel for the minority
03:25regarding the fact I will not be answering questions about the litigation between Arjuna Capital and Exxon.
03:30So when you ask that they accelerate the reduction of CHG emissions,
03:35you're asking them to reduce production of oil and gas. Isn't that correct?
03:39Prior to this hearing, my counsel sent a letter to Chairman Jordan and Chairman Massey
03:44and had conversations with both counsel for the majority and counsel for the minority
03:48regarding the fact that—
03:49I'm not sure answering these questions could get you in any hot water.
03:54When you say that Exxon should shrink, do you stand by that statement?
03:58Do you want Exxon to be a smaller corporation?
04:01Prior to this hearing, my counsel sent a letter to Chairman Jordan and Chairman Massey
04:06and had conversations with both counsel for the majority and the minority
04:10regarding the fact I will not be answering questions about the litigation between Arjuna Capital and Exxon.
04:15As previously stated and on advice of counsel, I'm unable to answer any questions related to the litigation.
04:21I'm happy to answer questions.
04:22Very good. I'll take that as a yes.
04:24Mr. Ben-Enfu, Climate Action 100 Plus frequently flags key shareholder proposals
04:29and management votes for its members to signal priority initiatives.
04:33Votes flagged by Climate Action 100 then typically get the attention of the foreign-owned proxy advisory
04:39dupality of institutional shareholder services, ISS, and Glass-Lewis & Company,
04:44which have combined 90% market share or advised mutual funds controlling $27 trillion in assets.
04:50In 2021, a foreign entity completed an 81% majority stake acquisition of ISS.
04:57Since that acquisition, ISS has persistently used its substantial market power
05:02to push American companies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions
05:06in line with net zero goals of the Paris Agreement.
05:12Let me just ask, does CalPERS consider whether recommendations from foreign-owned proxy advisors
05:17are in the best interest not only of shareholders but the U.S. national security?
05:24CalPERS considers a myriad of topics when we think about how to vote our proxies.
05:28We take that very seriously. That's a very important part of what we do every day.
05:33And we have a mosaic where we consider many, many different sources of information
05:38and then put it all together in a mosaic and make a decision on what's in the best interest
05:41of our beneficiaries and our pension.
05:44And it is only that North Star about what's in the best interest of investment returns.
05:48Thank you. Now yield back.
05:49Gentleman yields back. Ranking members now recognize.
05:53Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to ask for unanimous consent to enter into the record
05:57a New York Times article published August 10, 2023, titled,
06:01How Climate Change Turned Lush Hawaii into a Tinder Box.
06:05Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record an NBC News article
06:10published August 10, 2023, titled, Drought and Wind, How Maui's Wildfires Turned into Tragedy.
06:18Without objection.
06:19And finally, Mr. Chairman, I ask consent to enter into the record a KUT.org article
06:23published December 23, titled, Energy Officials Warm of Winter Blackout Risks in Texas and Beyond.
06:31Without objection. Thank you.
06:33Gentleman from California is now recognized for five minutes.
06:36I'm trying to understand why we are here.
06:40Ms. Lubber, do you make money for the people who work with you?