Center-right industry advocates and former GOP lawmakers call for protecting responsible investing at Climate Week

NEW YORK CITY: At a main stage event at Climate Week NYC, prominent thought leaders from center-right organizations and former Republican members of Congress made the case for championing efforts to protect the long-standing rights of investors and companies to consider all financial risks in decision-making. They are part of a growing chorus of bipartisan voices working to safeguard the freedom to invest responsibly.  

“If investors are denied the ability to invest in what they think is best, that will significantly reduce the opportunities to make profits, to have a market that functions, to have a free market that flourishes,” said Eli Lehrer, President, R Street. 

The comments came at Ceres at Climate Week, which included a full-day residency at the Nest Climate Campus on Sept. 24, bringing together investors, companies, and policymakers to explore the current challenges and opportunities in advancing climate action. The main stage event, Championing the Clean Economy: Corporate Action and Protecting the Freedom to Invest, featured former Reps. Ryan Costello (Pennsylvania), Carlos Curbelo (Florida), and Bob Inglis (South Carolina), as well as senior representatives from DEPLOY/US, Freedom to Invest, National Taxpayers Union, and R Street. It was followed by a media availability and a 45-minute public roundtable discussion. 

“People should be free to make their investment decision without the heavy hand of government pushing them in one direction or another,” said Brandon Arnold, Executive Vice President, National Taxpayers Union. 

“The government shouldn’t be involved in instructing companies or investment firms or individuals in what kind of risks they should take into account or what opportunities they seek when they invest,” said former Congressman Carlos Curbelo (R-FL).  

Ceres CEO and President Mindy Lubber and Inherent Group’s CEO and CIO Tony Davis highlighted the ways U.S. investors and businesses are prospering in the transition to an advanced, more resilient economy, spotlighting clean energy investment trends, including the prediction that clean investment globally is expected to reach $2.2 trillion by the end of 2025.  “Last year’s 90 percent-plus of all new energy generation was renewables, and why is that? Because it is better technology. They are cheaper and they also provide energy security,” said Davis.  

Ceres at Climate Week comes as the U.S. administration moves to undo federal environmental policies aimed at reducing climate pollution and rolls back federal incentives that have bolstered clean energy innovation and job growth. It also comes as frequent and costly extreme weather events continue. Such events cost the U.S. a record $182.7 billion in damages in 2024 and have already cost $93 billion in damages in the first half of 2025.  

At the same time, recent analyses show sustained momentum in clean economy investing and corporate climate action. 92% of 500 chief financial officers surveyed said they expect to invest more in sustainability this year, with more than half significantly increasing their investments. An analysis of 6500 companies found 84% are standing by their goals to cut carbon pollution, with 37% increasing their ambitions. And 70% of 74 large asset owners surveyed now integrate responsible investment goals into their strategies, an increase from the previous year. 

As Lubber noted in her opening remarks, investors and businesses continue to address climate and sustainability risks because these risks are financial issues.  

“Businesses and investors know the truth: that acting on climate is no longer about compliance or reputation management. It’s about profit and resilience. It’s about materiality and not just morality. It is about jobs and the economy and building a clean energy revolution.” 

Ceres called for increased business and government action to reduce climate pollution driving extreme weather, double down on prudent financial risk management and clean energy investments, maintain policies that ensure clean air and build a cleaner economy, and protect core investment and business freedoms. 

Editor’s Notes:  

Click here to read Ceres CEO and President Mindy Lubber’s full remarks.

Ceres will publish a full video recording of the mainstage event [here] as soon as it becomes available. 

About Ceres 
Ceres is a nonprofit advocacy organization working to accelerate the transition to a cleaner, more just, and resilient economy. With data-driven research and expert analysis, we inspire investors and companies to act on the world's sustainability challenges and advocate for market and policy solutions. Together, our efforts transform industries, unlock new business opportunities, and foster innovation and job growth – proving that sustainability is the bottom line.