altafiber sustainability score: 48/100
Leading practice starts at 60. The highest score on SINK is 71.
altafiber is a US telecommunications operator providing fiber and broadband infrastructure, primarily in the Midwest and Hawaii. Its roots go back to 1873 as a Cincinnati telephone company; the current company was incorporated in Ohio in 1983.
More about altafiber
It has about 2,100 employees (FY2025 Form 10-K) and is owned by Macquarie. The company runs Hawaiian Telcom as a subsidiary and files SEC disclosures despite private ownership.
Founded 1983Head office United StatesStaff ~2,100 (31 Dec 2025, FY2025 Form 10-K)Revenue $1.1B (FY2025)Website ↗
altafiber reports Scope 1+2 emissions with third-party verification and a 40%-by-2030 target, but Scope 3 (73% of footprint) is screened only once per 3–5 years with no supplier engagement. Operations emissions declined 11.4% since 2021—slower than target pace—while Scope 1 rose. Renewables cover under half of electricity. A $100M wildfire settlement marks material liability risk.
altafiber scores 48/100 (Making progress) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Scores are free. Nobody can pay to change a score, speed it up or hide it. Last verified October 2026.
That places altafiber joint 211th of 1,023 companies scored, and 10th of 19 in Telecommunications.
What is altafiber doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Transparency & Accountability (8/10, 6/10). Weakest on Nature & Biodiversity Impact and Water Impact (3/10, 3/10).
Where altafiber lost points
For each question that lost points, the evidence our public rubric looks for that we didn't find.
What would raise this score
- Its effect on natureAssess its effect on nature and publish a basic environmental policy.
- Its effect on waterMonitor its water use and take measures to reduce it.
- How clean its energy isShow at least half its energy is renewable, with a transition plan.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations8/10No verified figures published with their method and a falling trend.
- Emissions from its supply chain5/10Most of its supply-chain (Scope 3) emissions aren't measured.
- Whether its emissions are falling5/10No evidence of a year-on-year fall in its total emissions.
- How clean its energy is4/10Less than half its energy shown to be renewable, or no transition plan.
- Its effect on nature3/10No assessment of its effect on nature, and no basic environmental policy.
- How it uses materials and handles waste5/10No measurable waste or recycling targets reported publicly.
- Its effect on water3/10No monitoring of water use, or no measures to reduce it.
- Its climate targets4/10Its targets aren't science-based or committed to the Science Based Targets initiative.
- How openly it reports6/10No annual impact report, or no pay linked to climate targets.
- Its record on controversies6/10Points deducted for controversies or its business model. The finding is under question 10.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Anyone can send us new evidence, free. How to send it.
How is altafiber's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleHas altafiber's score changed?
altafiber's score has been reviewed 2 times and currently stands where it started, at 48.
- 48 → 4813 October 2026
Bio correction, score unchanged. Founded-year rule (year the current company was created; earlier history as "its roots go back to"): founded null -> 1983, per FY2025 Form 10-K p.24 ("incorporated under the laws of Ohio in 1983"; https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/716133/000119312526115350/ck0000716133-20251231.htm); description now says its roots go back to 1873. Revenue "~$1.1B" -> "$1.1B (FY2025)" (10-K segment note: total revenue $1,107.2M FY2025).
- Scored 4812 October 2026
Initial public score 48 (publish-draft)
What evidence is altafiber's score based on?
11 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
27% of them were published by altafiber itself; the rest come from independent sources.
“This GHG inventory has been independently verified by a third-party auditor, Cameron-Cole, LLC.”
“We reduced overall emissions 11.4% from 2021 to 2025”
“science-based net zero emissions target by 2040, covering scope 1 and 2 emissions”
“includes 184 panels, which produce 116,000 kilowatt-hours of power annually”
“accused in lawsuits of allegedly overloading some of the power poles with their communications wires and attachments”
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How does altafiber compare with other telecommunications companies?
Where altafiber sits among telecommunications peers.
Among the 19 major telecommunications brands we've scored, altafiber sits 10th of 19.
Who scores higher in Telecommunications?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above altafiber.
Telefónica's own emissions are 91% below 2015, but its supply-chain emissions, 96% of its 2.93 MtCO2e footprint, rose 0.9% in 2025. 93% of its electricity is renewable, 37% of it through unbundled certificates.
See the breakdown →Virgin Media O2 has delivered verifiable carbon reductions—56% absolute Scope 1&2 decline since 2020, SBTi-validated targets, third-party assured reporting.
See the breakdown →Deutsche Telekom's emissions fell 12% in 2025 to 8.7 MtCO2e, and it has SBTi-validated targets for a 55% cut by 2030 and net zero by 2040.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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