The Issue: When Federal Climate Science Goes Dark

The news from Washington is a clear signal to the sustainability community: relying on stable federal climate policy is not an option. Reports indicate that the Department of Energy (DOE) is instructing staff to avoid critical sustainability terms like “climate change,” “decarbonization,” and “emissions” in communications. This verbal suppression is compounded by the release of a politically-driven DOE report earlier this year that actively downplays the economic risks of CO2.

Taken together, these actions are a deliberate attempt to suppress scientific discourse and de-prioritize climate action at the federal level. For businesses, this political uncertainty is more than just noise; it’s a critical challenge to long-term strategy and planning.

How Policy Risk Becomes Business Risk

For our clients—from Fortune 500 leaders to mission-driven start-ups— the main risk we see is strategic paralysis in the current political cycle. Relying on fluctuating federal priorities and unreliable government data undermines the authentic commitment that savvy customers, clients, and investors now demand. If you cannot confidently speak about your path to decarbonization or your commitment to net-zero because of political headwinds, you risk losing market share to competitors who have already embedded sustainability as a core business mandate. 

The market has moved on from viewing ESG as a purely regulatory burden. It is now a driver of financial and operational resilience. For example, investors commonly require companies to measure, report and mitigate physical risks on business operations related to climate change. 

Third Partners Solutions

At Third Partners, our solution is to help you embed ESG as a core business mandate, making performance improvement immune to political cycles by linking it directly to verifiable financial value. We help clients unlock competitive advantage and resilience through self-funded, data-driven initiatives.

Here is how companies can turn this political risk into a business opportunity:

  1. Unlocking Operational Efficiency: We develop comprehensive sustainability roadmaps that focus on projects with clear financial returns, not just compliance. This includes rigorous assessments for energy efficiency upgrades (saving capital and reducing utility costs) and exploring materials innovation opportunities. ESG becomes an expense-reduction strategy first.
  2. Mitigating Physical and Transition Risks: Climate change doesn’t follow politics. We help you implement Supply Chain Resilience and Climate Risk Assessments to anticipate disruptions from extreme weather (reducing physical risks) and future regulatory shifts (managing transition risks). Preparedness is the ultimate hedge against uncertainty.
  3. Building Data Integrity & Brand Trust: Implementing robust environmental data collection processes establishes validated data, which is essential for attracting mission-aligned investors and talent, and for providing the Claims Validation needed to speak authentically to the market.

Policy creates a level playing field for business but has never been a source of competitive advantage or differentiation. Request a consultation with Third Partners today to build a climate strategy that is financially sound, drives real impact, and is so intrinsically valuable to your business that it transcends any political cycle.