Liam Denning, Columnist

Anti-Woke Republicans Aren’t Making Business Sense on Climate

The GOP’s opposition to meaningful climate policy is increasingly at odds with corporate pragmatism.

Climate change is raising the risks of weather-related damage around the world.

Photographer: RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP
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Republican Speaker-in-waiting Kevin McCarthy’s reported snub to the Chamber of Commerce marks a milestone of sorts in the growing schism between his caucus’ avowed opposition to meaningful climate policy and spreading facts on the ground.

With anti-wokeness now GOP dogma at both state and federal levels — and for likely presidential contender Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida — the House of Representatives is about to become a base from which to attack all things environmental, social and governance, or ESG, related. Republican displeasure with the Chamber isn’t unprecedented — there was a similar spat in the early 1990s — and isn’t confined to ESG issues. The environmental bit of ESG is, however, likely to be a growing source of friction.