It’s not like they’d ever lie, right?

Sixteen state attorneys general are calling on the “Big Four Accounting Firms” by letter for accountability over their actions that prioritize Environmental, Social, Governance investment strategies and climate goals, which will prove to be detrimental to consumers, the officials say.

One leader of the letter, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, told The Center Square that “the Big 4’s climate commitments force clients to make burdensome climate-related disclosures that drive up the costs of their services and place onerous requirements on farmers and small businesses.

“These costs will ultimately be passed onto consumers, who will be forced to bear the burden of increased prices for food, energy, and other everyday products,” Hilgers said.

According to the attorneys general’s letter, the Big Four committed to supporting international climate initiatives and frameworks—including the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), the Net Zero Financial Service Providers Alliance, and the International Sustainability Standards Board.

They also pledged to back greenhouse-gas disclosures regardless of materiality, align products and services with net-zero emissions by 2050 or sooner, and advance global climate reporting standards. A materiality assessment determines if information is significant enough to affect investor decisions.

The attorneys general allege the firms backed climate disclosures—including a TCFD framework requiring Scope 1 and 2 emissions reports regardless of materiality and encouraging Scope 3—without first confirming materiality.

They argue the Big Four’s climate consulting and assurance work creates a financial stake in the expanded rules they support, citing SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce’s warnings that such rules could burden small suppliers and spur costly litigation over speculative disclosures. The firms’ net-zero pledges through the Net Zero Financial Service Providers Alliance (aligning products and services with 2050 or earlier targets) could also impact the U.S. energy sector.

KPMG has woven diversity and environmental justice into its efforts via the Leaders 2050 network (calling net zero the most pressing challenge of our time) and a survey advocating diversity in net-zero decisions—activities the attorneys general are reviewing for conflicts with independence and objectivity duties.

The letter seeks explanations of how the pledges meet professional obligations, safeguards against influencing audits, five years of related revenue, documents on the commitments and independence claims, state/local contracts since 2020, and how climate services plus advocacy for broader rules avoid conflicts (including any disclosed to and consented by audit clients).

The reporting disclosures are definitely geared to promote climate change propaganda and companies involved in the financial sector should not be promoting it with their documentations. Thankfully the attorneys general, all of whom are Republicans, aught it, the necessary corrections will be made and, if need be, the mean greenies in these companies will be rooted out.