Xylem

NYSE: XYL69Credible Contributor· Provisional

0 followersWater technology·Washington, US·Founded 2011

www.xylem.com

Xylem designs and manufactures water and wastewater technology — from smart meters and network management to treatment and analytics — serving utilities, industry, and municipalities across 150+ countries.

69/100

Credible Contributor· Provisional

ClimateTicker Green Score · how it's calculated

Greenwashing risk: lowData confidence: high

Why it's on ClimateTicker

Xylem's core business — water transport, treatment, measurement, and digital management — is directly aligned with both climate mitigation (energy-efficient infrastructure) and adaptation (water resilience), making it a genuinely climate-relevant company rather than a green-themed industrial. SBTi targets were formally validated in December 2024, but the Scope 3 target uses economic intensity rather than absolute reductions, masking a 9% absolute rise in Scope 3 emissions in 2024. Investors should view Xylem as a credible but imperfect climate enabler with real inherited governance risk from the Evoqua acquisition.

enablerXylem generates ~$8.6 billion in annual revenue by designing, manufacturing, and servicing water and wastewater technology — including pumps, smart meters, treatment systems, and analytics platforms — sold to utilities, municipalities, and industrial customers in 150+ countries.

Commitments & Certifications

CDP: B (Climate Change), C (Water Security) ↗other: MSCI ESG Rating: AAA ↗other: Race to Zero signatory; UN CEO Water Mandate; UN Global Compact ↗SBTi: Targets validated ↗

Controversy & Greenwashing Watch

lowRegulatory Violation History — $17.7M Penalties Since 2000

Violation Tracker records approximately $17.7 million in penalties across 28 records for Xylem subsidiaries since 2000, though regulators and independent analysts note this is modest relative to the company's global scale and 25-year span.source ↗

mediumScope 3 Absolute Emissions Rising Despite SBTi Intensity Target

Xylem's Scope 3 absolute emissions rose 9% year-on-year in 2024 (from 63.3Mt to 69.1Mt) even as the company reports progress on its intensity-based Scope 3 target, creating a credibility gap in its decarbonization narrative.source ↗

mediumSpruce Point Short-Seller Report — Evoqua Integration & Governance Concerns

A December 2024 forensic financial report from Spruce Point Capital alleged Xylem had pre-acquisition goal shortfalls, strained liquidity, and governance red flags linked to the Evoqua deal and the target's prior SEC fraud.source ↗

highEvoqua Securities Fraud (inherited via 2023 acquisition)

Pre-acquisition Evoqua fraudulently inflated revenue during its 2017 IPO and subsequent filings; Xylem inherited a DoJ non-prosecution agreement requiring Evoqua to pay an $8.5M criminal penalty, on top of $8.5M SEC civil penalty and $16.65M shareholder settlement.source ↗

mediumOSHA Fine — Preventable Worker Injury

Xylem was fined $234,054 by OSHA after a worker suffered a preventable fall into a 30-foot-deep water test pit in Pewaukee, Wisconsin in 2020, with one willful and eight serious safety violations cited.source ↗

mediumSouth Korea Antitrust & FCPA Investigation

In 2014, Korean regulators found Xylem's South Korea subsidiary violated antitrust laws; Xylem disclosed the matter to SEC and DOJ, both of which declined prosecution by 2016.source ↗

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