Ross Sorkin: CEOs Who Went to Sit with The Pope Were Seeking His Approval for ESG, DEI and Climate Policies

LEMIRE Welcome back A ░░░░░░░░ shot there of Vatican ░░░░░░░░ crowds gathered in St ░░░░░░░░ s Square And as ░░░░░░░░ around the world are ░░░░░░░░ the death of Pope ░░░░░░░░ today one part of ░░░░░░░░ legacy will be his ░░░░░░░░ to build bridges with ░░░░░░░░ leaders from around the ░░░░░░░░ Let s now bring ░░░░░░░░ co anchor of CNBC ░░░░░░░░ Squawk Box and New ░░░░░░░░ Times Columnist Andrew Ross ░░░░░░░░ We should note New ░░░░░░░░ Stock Exchange just held ░░░░░░░░ moment of silence for ░░░░░░░░ Pope And Andrew you ░░░░░░░░ this Pope he s ░░░░░░░░ Jesuit He took his ░░░░░░░░ from St Francis of ░░░░░░░░ which means the man ░░░░░░░░ poverty That s where ░░░░░░░░ much of his public ░░░░░░░░ was But part of ░░░░░░░░ mission was to talk ░░░░░░░░ what some might deem ░░░░░░░░ sources these corporate leaders ░░░░░░░░ us about it SORKIN ░░░░░░░░ was it was actually ░░░░░░░░ unique to think about ░░░░░░░░ You know if you ░░░░░░░░ back and look at ░░░░░░░░ of 2017 18 19 ░░░░░░░░ before the pandemic as ░░░░░░░░ were trying to move ░░░░░░░░ around ESG and climate ░░░░░░░░ ESG being environmental social ░░░░░░░░ governance issues many CEOs ░░░░░░░░ I don t think ░░░░░░░░ is widely known were ░░░░░░░░ pilgrimages to the Vatican ░░░░░░░░ actually meet with the ░░░░░░░░ In fact I interviewed ░░░░░░░░ pope back in 2019 ░░░░░░░░ what was happening during ░░░░░░░░ of those meetings where ░░░░░░░░ whole number of CEOs ░░░░░░░░ to sit with the ░░░░░░░░ And in effect we ░░░░░░░░ seeking his approval for ░░░░░░░░ of the acts that ░░░░░░░░ were pursuing around ESG ░░░░░░░░ DEI and around climate ░░░░░░░░ you know a lot ░░░░░░░░ folks have said that ░░░░░░░░ were marketing that ESG ░░░░░░░░ DEI were sort of ░░░░░░░░ efforts by by companies ░░░░░░░░ I ll tell you ░░░░░░░░ the number of CEOs ░░░░░░░░ to visit the Vatican ░░░░░░░░ to visit this pope ░░░░░░░░ talk about these things ░░░░░░░░ I saw with my ░░░░░░░░ eyes it was real ░░░░░░░░ don t think it ░░░░░░░░ marketing I don t ░░░░░░░░ it was some kind ░░░░░░░░ flex on what they ░░░░░░░░ trying to do They ░░░░░░░░ from all sorts of ░░░░░░░░ religious backgrounds Tim Cook ░░░░░░░░ to visit with the ░░░░░░░░ Steve Schwarzman who s ░░░░░░░░ went to visit with ░░░░░░░░ Pope So many different ░░░░░░░░ and gas company CEOs ░░░░░░░░ actually going to visit ░░░░░░░░ the Pope Brian Moynihan ░░░░░░░░ Catholic who runs the ░░░░░░░░ of America went to ░░░░░░░░ with the Pope And ░░░░░░░░ I I mention this ░░░░░░░░ because I think it ░░░░░░░░ both you know eye ░░░░░░░░ in terms of what ░░░░░░░░ business community was trying ░░░░░░░░ do but also eye ░░░░░░░░ in terms of what ░░░░░░░░ Vatican was trying to ░░░░░░░░ which was trying to ░░░░░░░░ capitalism towards a more ░░░░░░░░ capitalism Of course he ░░░░░░░░ not commented on our ░░░░░░░░ today and what s ░░░░░░░░ in the politics of ░░░░░░░░ country But clearly the ░░░░░░░░ against all of those ░░░░░░░░ I imagine would be ░░░░░░░░ that would be deeply ░░░░░░░░ to him LEMIRE I ░░░░░░░░ you re right And ░░░░░░░░ in President Trump s ░░░░░░░░ term the Pope was ░░░░░░░░ sharp critic at times ░░░░░░░░ his policies CNBC s ░░░░░░░░ Ross Sorkin thank you ░░░░░░░░ much.”