Originally published for customers October 13, 2023
The current legal structure allows the Sierra Club to operate with very little public disclosure. This has led to heightened secrecy around the major donors who might be influencing the organization’s purpose and mission.
What’s the issue?
The Sierra Club, along with other notable environmental groups, has recently become a thorn in the side of the natural gas industry as they have opposed natural gas projects around the country.
Why does it matter?
There is a continuing interest in who is providing the funding for these groups, and as we have reported in the past, the current legal structure allows them to operate with very little public disclosure.
What’s our view?
Sierra Club, however, has not always been so active in natural gas matters as it has become in recent years. In addition, its legal structure is different from the other major environmental groups and is designed to be even more opaque. The only real solution to this problem of perceived conflicts of interest would be a revision to current law that would require such large organizations to disclose their major donors and perhaps a law that actually prohibits the unique structure used by Sierra Club.
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