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Trump’s policies reshape shareholder climate action as ESG proposals plunge

Environmental, social, and governance shareholder proposals have dropped sharply in 2025 as investors navigate a political landscape shaped by President Trump’s regulatory overhaul and attacks on socially responsible investing.

Joseph Winters reports for Grist.

In short:

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) shareholder proposals fell 34% this year, as investors anticipate regulatory hurdles under a new, more conservative Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Two new SEC policies make it harder to submit and sustain ESG proposals, while giving companies more opportunities to exclude them from proxy statements.
Some companies are now more open to negotiating with investors to avoid public proxy votes, leading to a spike in withdrawn proposals compared to 2024.

Key quote:

“It was clearly a biased decision stacked against shareholders.”

— Michael Passoff, CEO of Proxy Impact

Why this matters:

Once a buzzy acronym on Wall Street and a rallying cry for sustainability advocates, ESG investing is now under siege, especially following President Trump’s return to office. Republican lawmakers and conservative pundits have framed ESG as “woke capitalism,” portraying it as a vehicle for imposing liberal values on business. In response, red-state legislatures have introduced or passed laws that restrict the use of ESG criteria in public investments, while companies are increasingly filing “no-action” requests to avoid shareholder votes on climate-related proposals.

ESG is a framework for evaluating long-term risks, including those posed by climate change. As sea levels rise and extreme weather intensifies, the rollback of ESG could erode transparency around corporate emissions and delay the already-fragile transition to clean energy.

One lawyer's groundbreaking work in shaping climate law

As governments stall and emissions climb, human rights lawyers like Monica Feria-Tinta are turning to the courts to force climate action — one tree, island, or river at a time.

Samira Shackle reports for The Guardian.

In short:

Feria-Tinta is pioneering legal strategies that argue climate inaction violates human rights, helping Indigenous and vulnerable communities take their cases to global courts.
Her work includes landmark victories like the Torres Strait case, where the United Nations ruled Australia failed to protect islanders from climate harm, and Ecuador’s Los Cedros forest, which won legal rights as a living entity.
While legal wins are often slow and hard-fought, they’re shifting the global legal landscape, transforming courts into battlegrounds where climate justice and biodiversity now have a voice.

Key quote:

“Whether it’s a single tree, or a whole community depending on a river, what is at stake is the future of humanity.”

— Monica Feria-Tinta

Why this matters:

As heat, floods, and displacement intensify, the courtroom has become a potent line of defense. Climate litigation can hold powerful players accountable, push policy change, and help protect the ecosystems our health depends on — even when other systems fail. These legal wins are slow, complex, and anything but guaranteed. But they’re a signal that the courtroom is becoming one of the last places where the planet still stands a fighting chance.

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