Saudi Aramco

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.

Aramco's core business is the large-scale extraction and export of crude oil and gas, with active plans to continue expanding production capacity; its net-zero pledge explicitly excludes Scope 3 emissions, which scientists estimate account for more than 80% of the company's total climate footprint, meaning the vast majority of its climate harm is entirely unaddressed.

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

Aramco has stated an ambition to reach net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050 and set an interim upstream carbon-intensity target for 2030, but these targets are not SBTi-validated, exclude Scope 3, rely heavily on carbon offsets and unproven CCS technology, and are explicitly described as an 'ambition' rather than a committed plan aligned with climate science.

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

Aramco publishes annual sustainability reports with some externally-assured metrics and modest social programmes, but third-party ESG raters assign poor scores (Refinitiv 44/100, Sustainalytics 45.2), flaring intensity actually increased in 2024 versus 2023, and governance is compromised by majority state ownership with limited independent board oversight.

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

Aramco publishes sustainability reports aligned with GHG Protocol and IPIECA standards, with limited external assurance on 24 of 80 metrics, but does not disclose through CDP, has no SBTi-validated targets, provides no Scope 3 inventory, and industry association lobbying positions are not transparently disclosed.

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

Aramco faces active greenwashing complaints in the UK and Netherlands over Formula 1 advertising, is documented as the world's largest fossil-fuel sports sponsor ($1.3 billion in active deals), has been accused of lobbying against EU ICE phase-out rules, ClientEarth has filed a formal human-rights complaint, and its CEO publicly promotes the long-term role of fossil fuels while opposing rapid EV electrification.