Authored by Kevin Stocklin via The Epoch Times,
A coalition of 16 state attorneys general is investigating the "Big Four" accounting firms, alleging that they may have pushed climate accounting on client companies.
Climate change activists hold signs during a press conference with members of the House of Reps. Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition on Capitol Hill in Washington on Nov. 13, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times"The Big Four'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," Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, who co-led the coalition, said in a statement.
"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."
These accounting firms - Deloitte, KPMG, Ernst & Young, and PriceWaterhouseCoopers - together provide an estimated 80 percent of all public company audits, according to Becker, an education organization for professionals.
The AGs' letter states that the accounting firms "appear to have violated their professional duty of independence by committing to push for climate-related disclosures in financial reporting, contrary to professional standards of materiality, neutrality, and error avoidance."
The letter also highlights the accounting f
