Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is taking a hard line against several of the world’s largest corporations, launching an antitrust investigation into whether “green” alliances are actually a front for price-fixing.
On Tuesday, Uthmeier issued Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) to household names including Unilever, Coca-Cola, Target, Nestle, and Mondelez International Holdings LLC. The investigation also targets influential groups like the U.S. Plastics Pact, the Consumer Goods Forum, and the Green Blue Institute.
The state is looking into suspicions that these companies may have used environmental partnerships to collude, effectively restricting trade and driving up costs for everyday products. The Attorney General’s office suggests these groups may be pressuring businesses to move away from free-market competition in favor of rules that hit consumers in the wallet.
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“Environmental groups are pressuring corporations to abandon free market principles and raise prices on consumers for products they don’t want, and many corporations continue their associations with these groups,” Attorney General Uthmeier said. “Our office provided them with a sufficient opportunity to respond to our inquiries regarding potential violations of the law. Time’s up.”
The demands require the companies to hand over a massive paper trail by late May. Investigators are looking for internal communications between the corporations and the environmental groups, as well as private chats between the companies themselves.
Specifically, the state wants to see documents regarding “problematic materials” lists—rules used by these groups to restrict certain products or packaging. Florida is also demanding records that show exactly how much these environmental initiatives have cost consumers.
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The legal filings issued out of Tallahassee cite the Florida Antitrust Act of 1980. The state’s goal is to determine if these agreements have “unreasonably” restrained trade, leading to higher prices, lower output, or a drop in the quality of goods and services available to Floridians.
All subpoenaed documents and evidence must be turned over to the Attorney General’s office by May 26 or May 27, 2026, depending on the specific filing. Under Florida law, failing to comply or providing false information can carry heavy penalties, including felony perjury charges.
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