Bills in red states punish climate-conscious businesses

When Tesla chief executive Elon Musk tweeted recently that environmental, social and corporate governance is a “scam” that has been “weaponized by phony social justice warriors,” his rhetoric echoed that of some Republican state lawmakers.

Indeed, in statehouses across the country, GOP lawmakers are promoting bills to punish companies that divest from fossil fuels or otherwise consider climate change in their business decisions. The raft of legislation is thrusting corporate climate action into the nation’s broader culture wars over reproductive rights, critical race theory and other contentious issues.