An ESG survivor’s guide to false climate claims this election season

By Trey Thoelcke Updated Sep 28, 7:46AM EDT · Published Sep 28, 3:03AM EDT

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An ESG survivor’s guide to false climate claims this election season — © Coldimages / iStock

In today’s issue:

— ESG fund managers expect a wave of false climate claims from red state politicians this election season

— A top global editor and the managing director of the World Economic Forum explain on World News Day how to stop climate and other disinformation

— Solar power has long lagged wind power in the U.S., but renewables trends in China and other countries point to a coming reversal

— Today in wildfires: As 13 more blazes break out in the past two days in California, PG&E facing more scrutiny

The backlash by red state politicians against environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing in the U.S. is only just beginning and fund managers expect it will pick up dramatically in the next six weeks as the midterm elections approach.

For developers of ESG products, whipsawed between anti-green rhetoric and concerns by supporters in blue states that the abuse will erode their climate ambitions, we offer a helpful survival guide to the coming misinformation maelstrom, courtesy of two of the leaders of World News Day on Wednesday.

False claims and disinformation are nothing new to the media. They whip up mistrust and prevent leaders from taking important steps to address major problems such as climate change, social inequality and foreign policy. As part of a global effort by dozens of news organizations led by the World Editors Forum, which I used to be on, two of my colleagues write below how journalists can help spread truth in times of great disruption, such as we are seeing with ESG right now.

Please read these important postings.

. . . . Disinformation is a scourge on public discourse, writes Adrian Monck, managing director of the World Economic Forum. But fact-based journalism can help stop it. Read the full article here. . . .

. . . . In times of crisis and change, journalists play a critical role in society, says Warren Fernandez, president of the World Editors Forum, a network of editors under the World Association of News Publishers, and also editor-in-chief of The Straits Times in Singapore. Read more here. . . .

More insights below . . . .

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About the Author Trey Thoelcke →

Trey has been an editor and author at 24/7 Wall St. for more than a decade, where he has published thousands of articles analyzing corporate earnings, dividend stocks, short interest, insider buying, private equity, and market trends. His comprehensive coverage spans the full spectrum of financial markets, from blue-chip stalwarts to emerging growth companies.

Beyond 24/7 Wall St., Trey has created and edited financial content for Benzinga and AOL's BloggingStocks, contributing additional hundreds of articles to the investment community. He previously oversaw the 24/7 Climate Insights site, managing editorial operations and content strategy, and currently oversees and creates content for My Investing News.

Trey's editorial expertise extends across multiple publishing environments. He served as production editor at Dearborn Financial Publishing and development editor at Kaplan, where he helped shape financial education materials. Earlier in his career, he worked as a writer-producer at SVE. His freelance editing portfolio includes work for prestigious clients such as Sage Publications, Rand McNally, the Institute for Supply Management, the American Library Association, Eggplant Literary Productions, and Spiegel.

Outside of financial journalism, Trey writes fiction and has been an active member of the writing community for years, overseeing a long-running critique group and moderating workshop sessions at regional conventions. He lives with his family in an old house in the Midwest.