BlackRock’s climate-related actions to date have been tepid, especially considering the firm’s stature.
US Dept. of Labor Proposes Rules to Hinder ESG Investment
On June 23, 2020, the US Department of Labor proposed regulations to prohibit private industry pension plans, governed under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), from investing in ESG investment vehicles if doing so would prioritize non-financial objectives over purely financial ones (i.e., increasing returns for plan beneficiaries).