Berkshire Hathaway sustainability score: 20/100
Better than 0% of Financial Services / Banking
Below expectations starts at 31. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Berkshire Hathaway is a US holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, whose businesses include insurance (GEICO, National Indemnity), Berkshire Hathaway Energy, BNSF Railway, manufacturing and retail, and large equity holdings including Chevron and Occidental Petroleum. The current company was incorporated in 1998.
More about Berkshire Hathaway
It had about 387,800 employees and $371.4 billion in FY2025 revenue.
Founded 1998Head office Omaha, Nebraska, United StatesStaff ~387,800 (FY2025)Revenue $371,444M total revenues (FY2025)Website ↗
Berkshire Hathaway publishes no group emissions figure; the only stated figure is Berkshire Hathaway Energy's owned generation, 48.5 Mt CO2e in 2024. It reports nothing for its investments, which As You Sow puts at about $96 billion in fossil-fuel holdings, or for the risks it insures. It has no group climate target or SBTi commitment, and its board opposed climate-disclosure proposals in 2024 and 2025. PacifiCorp has delayed coal-plant retirements and paid $575 million to settle federal wildfire claims.
Berkshire Hathaway scores 20/100 (Significant gaps) 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 Berkshire Hathaway joint 973rd of 1,023 companies scored, and joint 59th of 61 in Financial Services / Banking.
What is Berkshire Hathaway doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Energy Source and Emissions Trajectory (4/10, 3/10). Weakest on Controversies & Red Flags and Carbon Footprint: Supply Chain (0/10, 1/10).
Where Berkshire Hathaway 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.
- Emissions from its supply chainAssess where its supply-chain emissions come from.
- Its effect on natureShow it knows its main risks to nature.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations2/10No emissions figures for its own operations, not even an estimate from energy bills.
- Emissions from its supply chain1/10No assessment of where its supply-chain emissions come from.
- Whether its emissions are falling3/10No evidence its emissions are falling, not even from energy bills or mileage.
- How clean its energy is4/10Less than half its energy shown to be renewable, or no transition plan.
- Its effect on nature1/10No evidence it knows its main risks to nature.
- How it uses materials and handles waste2/10No active waste reduction, reuse or repair shown.
- Its effect on water2/10No monitoring of water use, or no measures to reduce it.
- Its climate targets2/10No specific targets with dates.
- How openly it reports2/10No published sustainability data, or no one named as responsible for it.
- Its record on controversies0/10Points 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 Berkshire Hathaway's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleWhat evidence is Berkshire Hathaway's score based on?
22 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
18% of them were published by Berkshire Hathaway itself; the rest come from independent sources.
Berkshire Hathaway is classed as a financial company, as it is commonly classified. It publishes no group emissions total. The one figure stated, 48.5 million tonnes CO2e in 2024, covers Berkshire Hathaway Energy's owned generation only, so the size deduction uses our standard fallback.
18 of 22 sources are independent of the company.
“Total Owned Generation CO2e Emissions (MT) 78,693,767 48,530,499 (38.3)%”
“Total Owned Generation CO2e Emissions (MT) 47,528,635 28,162,855 (40.7)%”
“Total Owned Generation CO2e Emissions (MT) 10,952,666 9,758,233 (10.9)%”
“as of December 31, 2025, BHE has reduced its annual GHG emissions by 30% as compared to 2005 levels”
“Since 2017, Berkshire Hathaway Energy has voluntarily and publicly reported its greenhouse gas emissions data from its U.S.-based operating companies”
“Berkshire does not disclose its financed emissions associated with these activities”
“Total Owned Generation CO2e Emissions (MT) 78,693,767 50,810,965 (35.4)%”
“BHE's investments in renewable energy seek to fulfill its promise to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.”
“Berkshire holds nearly $96 billion in fossil fuel-related equities.”
“PacifiCorp continues to deny liability.”
“Berkshire Hathaway denied the seriousness of the climate crisis for many years and badly needs to catch up in taking climate action.”
“Accuracy of Climate Policy Engagement Disclosure No, does not meet criteria”
“Western power giant PacifiCorp is no longer committing to the retirement of several of its large coal plants before the 2040s”
“its revised plans will increase reliance on natural gas — a commodity prone to volatile price swings — and more emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases”
“The renewable energy for the new agreement is expected to come from BHE Renewables’ 158 MW Gopher Creek wind farm in Texas.”
“became the latest U.S. electric utility to delay the scheduled closure of coal-fired generating capacity”
“resolve U.S. government damages claims related to six wildfires in Oregon and California that burned nearly 290,000 acres of federal land”
“Berkshire currently lacks a clear plan to measure and disclose the GHG emissions associated with its underwriting and investment activities”
“By margins of more than 4-to-1, shareholders at Berkshire's annual meeting voted against two proposals that the company's insurance and energy operations disclose more”
“After first buying $10 billion in preferred Occidental shares in 2019, Buffett repeatedly topped up his stake this year”
“The first trial in 2023 found PacifiCorp grossly negligent and awarded $94 million to 17 wildfire victims.”
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How does Berkshire Hathaway compare with other financial services / banking companies?
Berkshire Hathaway is tied at the bottom of the financial services / banking pack.
Among the 61 major financial services / banking brands we've scored, Berkshire Hathaway is tied =59th of 61, with 2 others.
Who scores higher in Financial Services / Banking?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Berkshire Hathaway.
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