Auto Trader Group plc sustainability score: 59/100
Better than 86% of Media / Entertainment / Publishing
Leading practice starts at 60. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Auto Trader is the UK's leading digital marketplace for vehicle sales, founded in 1975 and headquartered in Manchester. The platform connects private sellers, dealers, and buyers, generating revenue primarily through dealer advertising and subscription services.
More about Auto Trader Group plc
It operates as a media and publishing business within the automotive sector, with subsidiary Autorama providing vehicle financing and lease services.
Founded 1975Head office Manchester, United KingdomStaff ~1,267Revenue £624.3m revenue (FY2026, year to 31 March 2026)Website ↗
Auto Trader has strong operational emissions reduction (30% year-on-year) and renewable energy coverage (99%), backed by SBTi targets and third-party verification. Weaknesses: only one year of clean absolute reduction across the full group; Scope 3 methodology relies on broad EEIO estimates; and the company operates a dominant UK vehicle marketplace facilitating predominantly ICE sales, creating structural complicity in high-emission goods distribution.
Auto Trader Group plc scores 59/100 (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 Auto Trader Group plc joint 19th of 1,023 companies scored, and joint 4th of 29 in Media / Entertainment / Publishing.
What is Auto Trader Group plc doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Energy Source and Carbon Footprint: Operations (9/10, 7/10). Weakest on Nature & Biodiversity Impact and Water Impact (4/10, 4/10).
Where Auto Trader Group plc 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 natureMeasure its effect on nature and have it independently verified.
- Its effect on waterMeasure its water footprint and set reduction targets.
- Whether its emissions are fallingShow a year-on-year fall in its total emissions.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations7/10Its own emissions aren't independently verified or tracked over several years.
- Emissions from its supply chain6/10No full value-chain map or supplier engagement programme.
- Whether its emissions are falling5/10No evidence of a year-on-year fall in its total emissions.
- How clean its energy is9/10Its own operations aren't shown to run on 100% renewable energy.
- Its effect on nature4/10Its effect on nature isn't measured or independently verified.
- How it uses materials and handles waste5/10No measurable waste or recycling targets reported publicly.
- Its effect on water4/10No measured water footprint with reduction targets.
- Its climate targets7/10Its targets aren't validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.
- How openly it reports7/10No annual impact report, or no pay linked to climate targets.
- Its record on controversies5/10Points 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 Auto Trader Group plc's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleHas Auto Trader Group plc's score changed?
Auto Trader Group plc's score has moved from 62 to 59 across 3 recorded reviews, down 3 points.
- 50 → 59+93 October 2026
Aggregator sweep, source-fix pass: dead cited URLs re-sourced and broker citations replaced with primaries; re-scored under pinned code 9196601.
- 62 → 50-1218 August 2026
Re-classified Ride-hailing / Mobility Platforms[30] -> Media / Entertainment / Publishing[60]; score 41->50
- Scored 6211 April 2026
Initial score at platform launch
What evidence is Auto Trader Group plc's score based on?
11 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
64% of them were published by Auto Trader Group plc itself; the rest come from independent sources.
“Scope 1: 116 | Scope 2 (location based): 204 | Total (Scopes 1 and 2): 320 [FY2025 tonnes CO₂e]”
“EcoAct has independently assessed and verified Auto Trader's GHG emissions following verification standard ISO 14064-3:2019”
“Our calculations estimate our GHG emissions during the year were 6% lower at c.93.2k tonnes of CO₂ across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 (2024: 98.9k tonnes)”
“All of our offices are on renewable energy tariffs. | % renewable: 99% [FY2025]”
“Reported energy and GHG emissions data is compliant with SECR requirements and has been calculated in accordance with the GHG Protocol and SECR guidelines”
“target of reducing our absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions by 46.2% before 2030 (from a 2023 base year)”
“This year, for the first time the reduction in emissions will form part of our remuneration policy”
“Autotrader has recently introduced a sustainability rating to its new car reviews on the platform”
“Autotrader adds new sustainability rating to editorial car reviews as part of its commitment to help consumers make more environmentally friendly vehicle choices”
“Auto Trader has both near- and long-term Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validated targets aligned with the most stretching 1.5°C scenario”
“Auto Trader Group | 2024: C | 2025: B [CDP Climate scores]”
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How does Auto Trader Group plc compare with other media / entertainment / publishing companies?
Where Auto Trader Group plc sits among media / entertainment / publishing peers.
Among the 29 major media / entertainment / publishing brands we've scored, Auto Trader Group plc is tied =4th of 29, with 1 other.
Who scores higher in Media / Entertainment / Publishing?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Auto Trader Group plc.
Guardian Media Group's footprint fell 48% from 2019/20 to 17,789 tCO2e in 2024/25, mostly because it prints fewer newspapers; print is still just under two-thirds of the total.
See the breakdown →Rightmove reports operational emissions cut 43% since 2020 through renewable electricity, but total footprint rose 12% due to rising Scope 3 spend-based supply-chain emissions, unverified and growing.
See the breakdown →Pearson has cut absolute emissions 57% since 2018 and holds SBTi-validated targets through 2050.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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