Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier just put climate activists on notice with a threat they won't forget.
Six Republican states joined forces to warn the group Ceres they're looking at serious legal trouble.
And Florida’s AG just caught the "climate cartel" red-handed in one massive ExxonMobil scheme.
Florida Leads Six-State Coalition Against Climate Activists
Attorney General Uthmeier led a coalition from Florida, Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota in issuing a formal warning to Ceres, a Boston-based climate activist group.
The coalition accused Ceres of acting as the ringleader of what they're calling a "climate cartel."
"Ceres—a ringleader of the 'climate cartel'—is open about its notorious goals to achieve net-zero carbon emissions," Uthmeier said.
The coalition warned that Ceres may be violating state and federal antitrust and consumer protection laws through its coordinated pressure campaigns against American companies.
"The assault on American families and businesses through what Ceres calls a 'Global World War' to achieve net zero must stop," Uthmeier warned.
He made it crystal clear what's coming next if Ceres doesn't knock it off.
"Failure to do so will result in a multi-state barrage of anti-trust enforcement," Uthmeier stated.
The warning letter laid out specific concerns about how Ceres allegedly coordinates efforts to pressure financial institutions and corporations to steer capital away from certain investments.
https://twitter.com/AGJamesUthmeier/status/2014019004474515489?s=20
Ceres Caught Orchestrating Corporate Takeover at ExxonMobil
The coalition pointed to one particularly brazen example of Ceres' tactics.
Ceres participated in a plan to replace the entire board of directors at ExxonMobil in 2021.
The activist group worked with hedge fund Engine No. 1 to force new directors onto ExxonMobil's board.
Engine No. 1 succeeded in getting at least two board members elected despite holding only 0.02% of Exxon's shares.
Ceres senior director Andrew Logan celebrated the board takeover at the time.
"The oil and gas industry has faced a true reckoning this proxy season," Logan said after the vote.
"With this vote, the center of power at ExxonMobil and Chevron has shifted and oil and gas companies can no longer afford to ignore outside pressure."
The attorneys general argued this corporate raid was designed to send a message to other companies about what happens when they don't cooperate with the climate agenda.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan subpoenaed Ceres in 2023 for documents about how the group advances climate policies.
The committee released a report last year detailing what they called direct evidence of a "climate cartel" consisting of left-wing activists and major financial institutions.
Internal emails obtained by Congress showed Ceres describing its work as "the Army ground troops" and "an 'air cover' strategic and silent bombing campaign" fighting a war for net zero emissions.
https://twitter.com/WillHild/status/2014016224464691320?s=20
Republican Coalition Warns of Consumer Protection Violations
Beyond antitrust concerns, the coalition warned that Ceres' pressure tactics force companies into "greenwashing."
Companies end up making misleading environmental claims to potential customers just to avoid being targeted by activists.
That could trigger violations of state and federal consumer protection laws on top of the antitrust issues.
The coalition requested that Ceres provide a formal explanation and supporting documentation showing how its actions comply with existing laws.
Ceres responded by claiming it has "never violated U.S. antitrust or consumer protection laws."
"Like many organizations and associations – from all sides of the political spectrum – we lawfully educate and engage investors and companies on business financial issues consistent with long-standing market practices," the group said in a statement.
Ceres openly promotes efforts to "transform industries," achieve "systemic changes," and "change business practices."
The group pressures banks to "reduce their exposure to fossil fuel and high-carbon assets" and was influential in forming Climate Action 100+, which pressures the "world's largest corporate greenhouse gas emitters" to take action on climate change.
Florida's move comes as the Trump Administration ramps up scrutiny of climate activism.
The Administration already issued an executive order targeting proxy advisors and climate-related voting practices.
Attorney General Pam Bondi received orders to identify and take action against state laws involving climate change that conflict with Trump's energy agenda.
Major financial institutions are already backing away from climate commitments.
Leading banks withdrew from the Net Zero Asset Managers alliance and other climate coalitions following political pressure and litigation risks.
This isn't the first time Florida has gone after climate activists trying to manipulate markets.
But the six-state coalition represents a major escalation in Republican efforts to use antitrust law against the climate cartel.
Consumers' Research Executive Director Will Hild praised the action.
"Ceres is a leader of the climate cartel and exploits its ever-growing network to push radical political agendas and ESG policies on companies and organizations, pressuring them to ignore their fiduciary duty, engage in shareholder activism, and adopt radical climate and net-zero goals," Hild said.
https://twitter.com/FLVoiceNews/status/2014344857171394821?s=20
American Energy Institute Founder Jason Isaac accused Ceres of market manipulation.
"Attorney General Uthmeier's letter puts a spotlight on what Ceres really is, the ringleader of a coordinated climate cartel operating behind closed doors," Isaac stated.
"Ceres uses dark money and collusive pressure campaigns to steer capital, punish lawful American industries, and force companies to adopt radical climate agendas they would never choose on their own."
The coalition's warning to Ceres is just the opening salvo.
If the group doesn't provide satisfactory answers about how its coordinated campaigns comply with antitrust law, expect a wave of state-level enforcement actions.
And with the Trump Administration backing aggressive antitrust enforcement against climate coalitions, Ceres and similar groups could be facing their own reckoning.
Sources:
- Michelle Vecerina, "AG Uthmeier leads multistate coalition warning 'climate cartel' ringleader over antitrust concerns," Florida News, January 21, 2026.
- Sophie Pendrill, "Florida leads coalition accusing Ceres of 'climate cartel' and antitrust violations," CBS12, January 21, 2026.
- Leif Le Mahieu, "GOP Officials Warn Climate Activist Group To Stop Pressuring American Companies," The Daily Wire, January 21, 2026.
- Florida Attorney General, "Attorney General James Uthmeier Leads Multistate Coalition Warning 'Climate Cartel' Ringleader," Press Release, January 21, 2026.
- Climate Action 100+, "In stunning vote, shareholders elect two new directors put forth by shareholders at ExxonMobil," June 2, 2021.
- House Judiciary Committee, "Climate Control: Exposing the Decarbonization Collusion in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Investing," June 11, 2024.
