Pro-ESG Group Plans Ad Blitz in Swing States as Election Nears

A group supporting the use of environmental, social and governance, or ESG, measures for running public companies is launching a multimillion-dollar ad buy in three election battleground states.

The group, called Unlocking America’s Future, reserved the advertising bloc from this week to Election Day in the swing states of Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, which both parties view as critical for winning control of the White House. The group did not disclose the cost of the campaign other than describing it as initially a seven-figure ad buy.

The 30-second ad briefly spotlights anti-ESG provisions in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a roadmap designed by the right-wing think tank for the next conservative administration.

“You work hard all day, every day. But costs are still too high,” the ad begins. “And now the same greedy corporations that want to ban ESG investing have an even bigger plan. It’s called Project 2025 and independent experts say it will make things even worse.”

Kyle Herrig, spokesperson for Unlocking America’s Future, said in a statement that the ad campaign will draw a link between ESG bans and Project 2025, which “is an assault on Americans’ rights and freedoms, and threatens the financial security of taxpayers.”

The advocacy group, a 501(c)(4) that does not disclose funding sources, was formed in December 2023 in response to the ESG backlash from conservatives. It’s conducted research, polling, and ad campaigns like the one announced Friday.

A large majority of likely voters view ESG investing favorably, according to a poll funded by the group. The poll, conducted by liberal-leaning political consulting group Hart Research, surveyed more than 2,100 likely voters about ESG-related issues from August 1-2.

When pollsters first asked participants their opinion of “ESG investing,” nearly 60% indicated “no opinion;" after pollsters provided a brief description of what “ESG investing” means, that figure jumped to 59% in favor of the term, while 22% indicated an unfavorable position.

Pollsters defined ESG as “investors, consumers, and businesses that follow ESG investing consider factors such as evaluations of companies on their treatment of employees, their impact on clean air and water, their impact on climate change, and their record on corporate corruption.”

These results follow similar polling last year that showed 52% of Republican likely voters opposed a bill to limit use of ESG factors in investment advisers’ decision-making.

The Republican-controlled House nonetheless passed a package of anti-ESG bills last week on a near-party line vote. But GOP congressional campaigns in competitive districts are focusing their messaging more on the economy and border security than on anti-woke efforts.