BlackRock has launched a targeted webpage in a bid “to set the record straight” on its energy investing practices following accusations from a growing number of U.S. states that the fund manager is boycotting the energy industry.
On the recently launched site, BlackRock vehemently denied boycotting the energy industry and stated that it is doing “quite the opposite” pointing to the U.S. alone, where it has invested $170 billion on behalf of its clients in U.S. energy companies, including oil and gas pipelines and power generation facilities.
BlackRock added that the choice of where to invest ultimately lies with its clients, and that its recent focus on climate risk and energy is in line with its fiduciary duty of securing the best possible returns for its customers.
The new platform further stressed that BlackRock “has not made commitments or pledges to meet environmental standards that constrain [its] ability to invest clients’ money on their behalf consistent with their objectives.”
The creation of the information page follows a recent decision by Louisiana to divest $794 million from the asset management giant, over fears its mandates would “cripple” the critical energy sector.
Anti-ESG laws have been introduced in a select number of U.S. states, with Texas the most recent to implement the measure.
BlackRock argued that the decision taken by the U.S. Attorneys General to restrict initiatives access to certain asset managers and funds such as itself, is ultimately bad for both U.S. workers and retirees.