First Solar sustainability score: 45/100
Better than 78% of Electronics / Hardware
Making progress starts at 46. The highest score on SINK is 71.
First Solar manufactures cadmium-telluride photovoltaic modules and operates manufacturing plants globally. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, it is a major thin-film solar technology producer with ~7,900 employees and $5.2 billion in annual revenue.
More about First Solar
The company runs module recycling and operates in the electronics hardware sector.
Head office Phoenix, Arizona, United StatesStaff ~7,900 (FY2025)Revenue $5,219.4M net sales (FY2025)Website ↗
First Solar's Scope 1 and 2 emissions are 57% above 2020 despite its net-zero targets, though its total footprint fell in 2025; Scope 1 jumped 35% year-on-year in 2025. Renewable energy covers only 21% of operations, backed mainly by certificates. Supply-chain carbon relies on the company's own lifecycle data, not supplier verification.
First Solar scores 45/100 (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 First Solar joint 281st of 1,023 companies scored, and 11th of 46 in Electronics / Hardware.
What is First Solar doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Targets & Commitments (8/10, 8/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Energy Source (4/10, 4/10).
Where First Solar 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
- 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.
- Its effect on natureMeasure its effect on nature and have it independently verified.
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 chain7/10No full value-chain map or supplier engagement programme.
- 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 waste7/10No verified figures for reuse and recycling across the business.
- Its effect on water5/10No measured water footprint with reduction targets.
- Its climate targets8/10No validated long-term net zero target.
- How openly it reports7/10No annual impact report, or no pay linked to climate targets.
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 First Solar's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleWhat evidence is First Solar'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 First Solar itself; the rest come from independent sources.
“Scope 1 GHG Global 16,593 22,386”
“First Solar’s GHG emissions inventory is externally verified on an annual basis with the International Standard ISO 14064 Part 3 (ISO 14064-3)”
“we cannot ensure that human or environmental exposure to cadmium or cadmium compounds used in our products will not occur”
“Since 2020, First Solar doubled production capacity which has resulted in a 57 percent increase in absolute scope 1 and scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions.”
“First Solar Gold member 2020 2026 Manufacturing”
“achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2050, relative to 2020”
“claims the solar technology company misled investors about its ability to navigate the impact of US tariff policies”
“First Solar executives and lobbyists met at least four times in late 2022 and 2023 with administration officials”
“Ambitionierte Umsetzung EU Net Zero Industry Act, insbesondere zur Einführung nicht-preislicher Zuschlagskriterien (z.B. CO2-Fußabdruck)”
“First Solar may not necessarily agree with every position taken by each organization of which it is a member”
“First Solar commits to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 34% by 2028 from a 2020 base year.”
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How does First Solar compare with other electronics / hardware companies?
Where First Solar sits among electronics / hardware peers.
Among the 46 major electronics / hardware brands we've scored, First Solar sits 11th of 46.
Who scores higher in Electronics / Hardware?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above First Solar.
Sonos publishes detailed emissions data, with third-party verification of Scope 1 and 2 but none for Scope 3.
See the breakdown →Cisco has achieved genuine absolute emissions reductions across all scopes with SBTi-validated net-zero 2040 targets and 96–100% renewable electricity.
See the breakdown →ASM has cut its own emissions 44% since 2021, but its total footprint rose 5% in 2025 to 1.7 MtCO2e and is above its base year, mainly from customers using its tools.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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