Fannie Mae Dismantles Its ESG Team
Last week, HousingWire reported that Fannie Mae (#27 on the Fortune 100) dismissed its entire environmental, social, and governance (ESG) team.
We maintain a database of Fortune 100 ESG policies, so I wanted to investigate.
Here’s what we found out about Fannie Mae’s ESG program and the recent dismantling.
See Also: Freddie Mac Scrubs ESG From Its Website
Fannie Mae Eliminated Its ESG Team In April 2025
Multiple sources confirmed to HousingWire that Fannie Mae terminated its entire ESG team.
According to the report:
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Over 30 staff members were affected.
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Laurel Davis, Senior Vice President and head of Mission and Impact, was among those dismissed.
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Staffers were reportedly placed on administrative leave prior to termination.
The ESG team had operated as part of the company’s broader Mission Team (which also included Duty to Serve and housing goals programs).
There has been no public comment from Fannie Mae or its regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), about the decision.
Fannie Mae’s ESG Webpage Is Gone
Previously, Fannie Mae’s ESG page was located at:
fanniemae.com/about-us/corp-responsibility/environment
There were sub-pages for environmental, social, governance, and other categories, but all of those are gone now, too.
You can view those pages here through the Wayback Machine.
Now, those links redirect users to a broader Corporate Responsibility page.
The ESG Program At Fannie Mae
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Assessing The Broader ESG Trend
The cuts follow broader moves by FHFA Director Bill Pulte, who has overseen the removal of DEI- and climate-related initiatives across the housing agencies.
In recent months:
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Pulte rescinded policy orders related to DEI.
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Climate-focused mandates initiated under the Biden administration were rolled back.
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Freddie Mac’s head of Mission and Community Engagement, Danny Gardner, was also terminated earlier this month.
In public posts on X (formerly Twitter), Pulte outlined his vision for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac:
“Our focus will now turn to growth, making homes more affordable, rooting out mortgage fraud, and providing great career opportunity.”
He emphasized that both enterprises need to be run as businesses that serve the American people, moving away from previous regulatory and social initiatives.
Fannie Mae & The Fortune 100
When we first reported on ESG policies for the Fortune 100 in early April, all 100 companies had an active ESG policy.
With Fannie Mae’s dismantling and Freddie Mac likely following suit, that number is now at 98. Will this move trigger a cascade of similar changes?
Summary
Fannie Mae has fully dismantled its ESG program and terminated its entire ESG staff as of April 2025.
The company’s ESG webpage now redirects to a broader Corporate Responsibility page, indicating a clear shift in priorities under the FHFA’s new leadership.
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