ESG pressure builds on energy sector as investors, lawmakers raise climate goals

Just how realistic are the ESG goals being set each quarter by US energy producers in the face of rising pressure from investors, banks and the government to become more environmentally sustainable? The Biden administration has ushered in new climate priorities across the government, including the Environmental Protection Agency reviewing methane limits, the Federal Reserve weighing climate risks to the economy, and the Securities and Exchange Commission examining climate disclosures in public markets. We spoke with Andrew Logan, director the oil and gas program at Ceres, an investor network focused on making financial markets and companies more environmentally sustainable. He sized up President Biden's climate policy progress so far, how oil and gas producers are responding to these pressures, whether carbon capture solutions are being oversold, and what rapid decarbonization could mean for the energy sector.