BlackRock, the world’s largest investment management company, is using Oklahomans’ pension funds to promote radical leftist Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policies, a new analysis reveals.
In a memorandum to “Interested Parties” titled “BlackRock is Using OPERS’ Investments to Push a Woke Agenda,” the American Accountability Foundation (AAF) details how the woke investment manager controls $4.4 billion of equity investments of the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) – using that proxy voter authority to advance pro-ESG, anti-energy shareholder resolutions.
In its analysis, AAF discovered 54 instances of BlackRock votes on behalf of OPERS in support of ESG-driven shareholder proposals – and against the citizens of Oklahoma, especially when it comes to the state’s oil and gas industry:
“[T]he proxy votes highlighted in this report cast by BlackRock – votes that effectively weaponize OPERS’ own investments against the citizens of the state of Oklahoma – show that BlackRock is regularly supporting shareholder proposals that harm oil and gas companies, as well as the end-users of petroleum products. Additionally, we identify dozens of other votes cast by BlackRock in favor of woke corporate policies that run afoul of Oklahoma values.”
BlackRock proxy votes in favor of ESG proposals cast on behalf of shareholders of prominent companies among the 54 include:
- Alphabet, Inc. (Google’s parent) Oversee and Report a Third-Party Racial Equity Audit and Commission Third Party Assessment of Company's Management of Misinformation and Disinformation Across Platforms
- Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. Report on Effectiveness of Diversity Equity and Inclusion Efforts and Metrics and Report on Physical and Transitional Climate-Related Risks and Opportunities
- Dominion Energy, Inc.: Report on the Risk of Natural Gas Stranded Assets.
- ExxonMobil: Report on Scenario Analysis Consistent with the International Energy Agency’s Net Zero (emissions) by 2050 agenda.
- Johnson & Johnson: Oversee and report on a Racial Equity Audit.
- Meta Platforms (formerly, Facebook): Report on Human Rights Impact Assessment of Targeted Advertising.
- Sysco Corp.: Report on Efforts to Reduce Plastic Use.
- Tesla: Report on Corporate Climate Lobbying in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.
- The Travelers Companies: Report on Efforts to Measure, Disclose and Reduce GHG Emissions Associated with Underwriting.
- The Kroger Co.: Report on Gender/Racial Pay Gap.
- The Walt Disney Co.: Report on Gender/Racial Pay Gap.
- Tysons Foods: Report on Sustainable Packaging Efforts.
“This information proves once again why BlackRock must be avoided,” AAF President Thomas Jones told the Daily Caller News Foundation., which obtained a copy of the memorandum. “These woke bankers and Wall Street elites are using taxpayer dollars to impose a leftist agenda on America, while making a hefty profit for themselves,” Jones warned.
Read more at the Daily Caller News Foundation.
