ClimateTicker

Peabody Energy

NYSE: BTU10Greenwashing / Harmful· Provisional
0 followersCoal mining·St. Louis, United States·Founded 1883
www.peabodyenergy.com

The world's largest private-sector coal company, producing thermal and metallurgical coal from mines in the US and Australia.

10/100
Greenwashing / Harmful· Provisional

ClimateTicker Green Score · how it's calculated

Greenwashing risk: highData confidence: high

Why it's on ClimateTicker

Peabody Energy is the world's largest private-sector coal company — a core fossil-fuel extractor whose product is a leading driver of global greenhouse gas emissions. Its inclusion on any climate platform is solely as a negative benchmark or 'what to avoid' case: no amount of incremental operational efficiency or marginal GHG reduction targets changes the fundamental reality that its business model is structurally incompatible with a 1.5°C pathway. Investors should treat its ESG disclosures with deep skepticism given a documented history of climate denial funding and misleading public statements.

harmfulPeabody mines and sells thermal coal (for electricity generation) and metallurgical coal (for steelmaking) from operations in the US and Australia, generating revenue through long-term supply contracts and spot market sales to utilities and industrial customers globally.

Controversy & Greenwashing Watch

highSecurities Class Action — Centurion Mine Misrepresentation

A 2026 securities class action alleges Peabody made materially false and misleading statements to investors about the operational status and production capabilities of its Centurion metallurgical coal mine in Queensland.source ↗

highAustralia Water Pollution Guilty Plea

Peabody pled guilty in 2024 to multiple charges of water pollution and failure to maintain equipment at its Metropolitan Mine in New South Wales after stormwater discharges in 2021–2022.source ↗

mediumOregon Climate Lawsuit (Dismissed)

Multnomah County, Oregon sued Peabody and other energy producers for allegedly causing a deadly 2021 heat event; Peabody was dismissed without prejudice in July 2024.source ↗

highClimate Denial Network Funding

Bankruptcy filings revealed Peabody funded dozens of climate denial groups, think tanks, lobbyists, and individual scientists to obstruct climate action, while publicly denying awareness of climate regulatory risk.source ↗

mediumChapter 11 Bankruptcy (2016)

Peabody filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2016, with subsequent court disclosures revealing the full scale of its covert funding of climate disinformation campaigns.source ↗

mediumMisleading 'Clean Coal' Advertising

The British Advertising Standards Authority ruled that Peabody must withdraw misleading advertising claims about 'clean coal.'source ↗

highNY Attorney General Settlement — Misleading Climate Disclosures

Peabody settled with the NY AG after an investigation found it had made false and misleading statements to investors and the public about climate-related financial risks, knowing internally that regulation would severely impact its business.source ↗

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