Roy Lashes out at ESG Movement Over 'Threat' it Poses

Rep. Chip Roy/ Texas Politics

Texas Rep. Chip Roy (R) is calling out the environmental, social and governance principles (ESG) movement, warning that it's "a threat to American energy and prosperity." The investor-led movement, which aims to understand how social and environmental issues create risks for businesses, has faced criticism from conservatives, who argue that it only emboldens America's enemies and threatens American energy. Rep. Roy, slamming the ESG "agenda," is sounding the alarm on the "threat" it poses.

During an interview with FOX News, the Texas Republican unloaded on supporters of the ESG movement, questioning it's approach to forcing "companies to make decisions based on their agenda."

"That agenda, again, is to limit the production of fossil fuels, limit the production of available reliable energy, increase the production of unreliable energy, increase the production of the very electric vehicles that are stacking up on the lots of dealers because they're not efficient, they're not effective, they empower our enemies like China. They force children in child labor to go get the cobalt for solar panels and batteries. All of this stuff is happening all because they're using the power of these companies - crony capitalism - to force this on the American people," Rep. Roy claimed.

In a study conducted last May, 40% of Americans reported being "not familiar at all" with the ESG movement. 37% of Americans reported being "very" or "somewhat familiar" with the movement, which is 1% higher than 2021.

Moreover, that same study reported that nearly six in 10 Americans shared "no opinion" when asked if they saw "the movement to promote the use of environmental, social and governance, or ESG< factors in business and investing" as a positive or negative development, which signaled that the public was struggling to get behind the movement.

Despite these numbers, the movement moves forward, but Rep. Roy is determined to help dismantle it, for he believes it will save the country.

"If you don't stop these corporations, you can't get the energy we need for the average American."

Daniel Molina

Daniel Molina is a managing editor and legislative correspondent with a decade of experience covering the evolving political landscape of the American South and Southwest.