Kia sustainability score: 26/100
Below expectations starts at 31. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Kia makes and sells passenger cars, recreational vehicles and other commercial vehicles and their parts, reported as a single segment. Kia Corporation was established in 1944 and is based in Seoul.
More about Kia
Hyundai Motor Company holds 34.53% of its shares. The company had 36,566 employees in Korea at 31 December 2025, and the group had sales of KRW 114.1 trillion in 2025.
Founded 1944Head office Seoul, South KoreaStaff ~36,566 at the parent company in Korea (31 December 2025)Revenue ~KRW 114.1 trillion sales (2025)Website ↗
Kia's footprint was about 143.2 Mt CO2e in 2025, up from about 100.6 Mt in 2024. Part of the rise comes from assuming a longer vehicle life, 220,000 km rather than 200,000 km, but purchased goods and upstream transport also rose, while Scope 1&2 fell 7%. A group-wide renewable electricity share for 2025 was not found; it targets 100% by 2040 under RE100. Korean press report that SBTi approved a 63% cut in Scope 1-3 emissions by 2035 against 2024. InfluenceMap's 2022 Korea assessment found Kia joined its trade body KAMA in objecting to the transition to zero-emission vehicles.
Kia scores 26/100 (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 November 2026.
That places Kia joint 847th of 1,023 companies scored, and joint 25th of 36 in Automotive.
What is Kia doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Targets & Commitments and Carbon Footprint: Operations (8/10, 7/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Controversies & Red Flags (0/10, 1/10).
Where Kia 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 its emissions are falling.
- Its record on controversiesDeal with the findings under question 10, in public.
- 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 operations7/10Its own emissions aren't independently verified or tracked over several years.
- Emissions from its supply chain7/10No full value-chain map or supplier engagement programme.
- Whether its emissions are falling0/10No evidence its emissions are falling.
- 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 measurable waste or recycling targets reported publicly.
- 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 mission-locked structure, such as B Corp certification.
- Its record on controversies1/10Points 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 Kia's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleHas Kia's score changed?
Kia's score has moved from 28 to 26 across 2 recorded reviews, down 2 points.
- 28 → 26-26 November 2026
Re-scored on v2.5 (brand batch: car makers); owner rulings 2026-11-06
- Scored 284 April 2026
Initial score at platform launch
What evidence is Kia's score based on?
18 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
28% of them were published by Kia itself; the rest come from independent sources.
13 of 18 sources are independent of the company.
“Since 2024, emissions from leased assets, which were previously classified under Scope 3 Category 8, have been included in Scope 1&2 calculations.”
“Supported suppliers in carbon emission reduction management”
“Kia’s LCA methodology has been certified by an external verification body as conforming to the international standards ISO 14040 and ISO 14044.”
“Kia pool 2% 88 96 0.3 96 93 1.01 94 2 4%”
“Kia’s electrified models accounted for 24.2 percent of the company’s total sales”
“But they also joined KAMA in objecting to the dismissal of fossil fuels and the transition to zero-emission vehicles.”
“Aussie favourites Kia and Hyundai also shared ninth spot on the list due to a rising share of SUV sales that used greater resources.”
“its benefits were offset by an SUV-intensive business strategy, which drives steel consumption”
“German authorities have raided Hyundai and Kia over allegations that they put over 210,000 diesel vehicles with suspected illegal defeat devices onto the road”
“HD Hyundai Heavy Industries with 695.7 hectares and Kia with 525.4 hectares, the study found.”
“기아는 2035년까지 스코프 1~3 모두 2024년 대비 63% 줄이겠다는 목표를 냈다.”
“continuing efforts toward carbon neutrality by 2045 through the transition to renewable energy and innovations in low-carbon materials”
“making it the first among its domestic business sites to do so through a renewable energy purchase agreement (PPA) with Korea South-East Power”
“Under the power purchase agreement (PPA), the carmaker will secure 250 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy from Hyundai Engineering for a year.”
“plan to plant halophytes and strengthen the carbon absorption capabilities of approximately 168,000 square meters (about 50,000 pyeong) of mudflats”
“Kia received the highest rating of 'Leadership A' in the water management category”
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How does Kia compare with other automotive companies?
Where Kia sits among automotive peers.
Among the 36 major automotive brands we've scored, Kia is tied =25th of 36, with 4 others.
Who scores higher in Automotive?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Kia.
Continental's 2025 footprint was 83.5 MtCO2e, most of it from tyres in use.
See the breakdown →Stellantis' footprint was 391.9 Mt CO2e in 2025, down from 414.7 Mt in 2024, with much of the fall tracking lower volumes.
See the breakdown →Geely Auto's footprint was 86.2 million tCO2e in 2025, mostly from the use of the cars it sells and the parts it buys, and it has risen every year since 2023 as sales grew.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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