European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on July 7, 2025. Jean-Christophe Verhaegen / AFP
Some of America’s largest companies are caught between a rock and a hard place, facing European regulations that seek to impose a climate and social justice agenda, which in many cases could also compel the companies to violate U.S. laws.
Underscoring this issue, 16 state attorneys general, led by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, sent a letter on Oct. 6 to Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, and Unilever, warning them that compliance with the European Union’s corporate sustainability directives, which include environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) regulations, in addition to climate-related reporting, would violate U.S. law.
