AT&T sustainability score: 37/100
Better than 11% of Telecommunications
Making progress starts at 46. The highest score on SINK is 71.
AT&T Inc. is a Dallas-based telecommunications company providing wireless, wireline and broadband services across the United States. It had $125.6 billion in FY2025 revenue and about 133,000 employees, making it one of the largest U.S. telecom operators.
Founded 1983Head office Dallas, Texas, United StatesStaff ~133,030 (FY2025)Revenue $125,648M revenues (FY2025)Website ↗
AT&T's climate performance is undermined by rising Scope 3 emissions and weak renewable energy adoption despite Scope 1–2 reductions. Lead-cable litigation, active lobbying against climate policy, and incomplete waste tracking expose governance gaps.
AT&T scores 37/100 (Below expectations) 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 AT&T joint 507th of 1,023 companies scored, and 17th of 19 in Telecommunications.
What is AT&T doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Carbon Footprint: Supply Chain (8/10, 7/10). Weakest on Controversies & Red Flags and Emissions Trajectory (3/10, 4/10).
Where AT&T 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 record on controversiesDeal with the findings under question 10, in public.
- Whether its emissions are fallingShow a year-on-year fall in its total emissions.
- 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 chain7/10Its Scope 3 emissions aren't fully verified or falling year on year.
- Whether its emissions are falling4/10No 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 nature4/10Its effect on nature isn't measured or independently verified.
- How it uses materials and handles waste5/10No verified figures for reuse and recycling across the business.
- Its effect on water4/10No measured water footprint with reduction targets.
- Its climate targets6/10Its targets aren't validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.
- How openly it reports6/10No annual impact report, or no pay linked to climate targets.
- Its record on controversies3/10Points 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 AT&T's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleHas AT&T's score changed?
AT&T's score has moved from 41 to 37 across 2 recorded reviews, down 4 points.
- 41 → 37-417 October 2026
Fortune 50 re-score (owner-approved batch 2, 2026-10-17)
- Scored 414 April 2026
Initial score at platform launch
What evidence is AT&T's score based on?
8 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
38% of them were published by AT&T itself; the rest come from independent sources.
“ERM CVS provided limited independent assurance of Scope 1, Scope 2 (location and market-based) and Scope 3 GHG emissions.”
“We collaborate with key suppliers to help them set and make progress against their own emissions reduction goals.”
“with the assistance of third-party environmental vendors, all projects to build or modify cell sites to understand potential impacts on the surrounding environment”
“Telecom giant AT&T has signed a long-term virtual power purchase agreement with Enbridge for the output of the project.”
“Extreme weather events and other potential effects of climate change may impose risk of damage to our infrastructure”
“2023 CDP questionnaire”
“AT&T is facing similar litigation over the lead cable issue”
“AT&T and its top executives allegedly misled investors about ESG issues related to toxic lead cables, a new suit says.”
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How does AT&T compare with other telecommunications companies?
Where AT&T sits among telecommunications peers.
Among the 19 major telecommunications brands we've scored, AT&T sits 17th of 19.
Who scores higher in Telecommunications?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above AT&T.
Huawei discloses Scope 1 & 2 emissions with third-party verification but refuses to report Scope 3, masking the vast majority of its footprint.
See the breakdown →Comcast's Scope 1 and 2 emissions are down 41% since 2019 with Deloitte assurance, and it has SBTi-validated near-term targets, but part of its Scope 3 fall comes from changed emission factors rather than physical cuts.
See the breakdown →Verizon cut market-based operational emissions 73% since 2019, mostly through renewable energy certificates; location-based emissions fell only 17%.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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