General Motors

Does the core business genuinely avoid or reduce emissions, or build climate resilience? Share of revenue that is actually 'green'. Fossil-dependent models score low.

Roughly two-thirds of GM's ~390 million metric-ton annual CO2e footprint derives from the ICE engines in the vast majority of vehicles it sells; EV volumes remain a small fraction of total output and the 2035 zero-emissions goal 'looks out of reach' at the current EV sales pace, meaning the core business is still a large, net-positive emitter.

Credible, science-based targets (SBTi), a real net-zero plan with progress to date, and CDP disclosure — not just a dated press release.

GM holds a self-declared 2035 light-duty zero-emissions goal and a 2040 carbon-neutrality target, but its SBTi validation was withdrawn in 2024 — leaving no independent scientific verification — and supply-chain (Scope 3) emission roadmaps are absent, with peers such as Ford and Toyota maintaining active SBTi-aligned targets.

Operational footprint, labour and social practices, and governance quality across the company's own operations and supply chain.

GM reports a 46% Scope 1 & 2 reduction since 2018 via renewable-energy procurement and publishes an annual sustainability report with supplier CDP engagement (92% of tiered suppliers by spend), but Scope 3 supply-chain plans are weak, no ResponsibleSteel/SteelZero participation, and labour and community programs are modest relative to the company's emissions footprint.

Quality of disclosure, independent third-party verification, and how much hard data backs the company's claims.

GM publishes a TCFD-aligned report and participates in CDP supply-chain surveys, but the 2024 SBTi departure removes independent third-party verification of headline targets, Scope 3 roadmaps are unquantified, and the sustainability report explicitly notes that forward-looking statements are estimates based on assumptions with no external assurance.

Controversies, litigation, pollution, fossil-fuel lobbying, conflict-zone involvement and governance scandals. Higher means cleaner.

GM spent $20 million lobbying in 2025 — among the highest of any U.S. company — to weaken federal and state vehicle-emissions and fuel-efficiency rules that its own sustainability targets depend on; faces an ongoing securities class action over alleged Cruise AV misrepresentations; and carries a broad docket of product-defect, environmental-compliance, and data-privacy class actions.