U.S. Attorneys General Launch Investigation into Climate Cartels

State attorneys general are taking decisive action against the "climate cartel," targeting activist environmental groups that undermine U.S. energy markets and threaten national security. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has launched an investigation into CDP (formerly the Climate Disclosure Project) and the Science Based Targets initiative, focusing on potential violations of consumer-protection and antitrust laws. Subpoenas have been issued to assess whether these entities are coercing companies into paying for environmental disclosures and net-zero pledges, while consolidating market power and extracting profit under a guise of transparency.
The investigation examines whether coordination between CDP, the Science Based Targets initiative, and the financial sector amounts to market manipulation, and whether companies that decline participation are punished, constituting an anticompetitive scheme. Uthmeier has accused radical climate activists of hijacking corporate governance and weaponizing it against the free market.
Similar actions are underway in Kansas, where Attorney General Kris Kobach has urged the U.S. Department of Justice to probe the China-backed Energy Foundation China over its suspected role in financing radical climate lawsuits targeting fossil fuel producers.
Meanwhile, major energy companies like Shell, Aker BP, and Enbridge have withdrawn from the Science Based Targets initiative, rejecting its call to halt oil and gas field development by 2027. These developments highlight growing resistance to ESG-driven mandates and the need for reform.
State financial officers have warned financial institutions like JPMorgan and BlackRock to stop using ESG metrics that discriminate against American energy producers. These investigations and warnings mark a turning point in efforts to roll back the climate cartel’s influence over American business.
The legal push is part of a broader strategy to protect U.S. energy dominance and ensure that climate policies do not become tools of foreign influence. As the global energy race intensifies, with China surging ahead, the U.S. must defend its energy independence and hold accountable those who exploit American businesses under the guise of ethical capital.

Published: 8/12/2025