Mercedes-Benz sustainability score: 29/100
Below expectations starts at 31. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Mercedes-Benz Group makes and sells premium cars and vans and offers financing, leasing and other mobility services; in 2025 Mercedes-Benz Cars had revenue of €96,407 million, Mercedes-Benz Vans €17,148 million and Mercedes-Benz Financial Services €24,625 million. Mercedes-Benz Group AG, based in Stuttgart, was incorporated in 1998 as DaimlerChrysler AG, the successor to Daimler-Benz AG, and has since been renamed.
More about Mercedes-Benz
Group revenue was €132,214 million in 2025, and it had 164,120 employees at 31 December 2025.
Founded 1998Head office Stuttgart, GermanyStaff ~164,120 (31 December 2025)Revenue ~€132.2B (2025)Website ↗
Mercedes-Benz's footprint was 119.4 million tCO2e in 2025, down from 134.2 million in 2024, but the company says the fall came mainly from lower sales, and its average EU new-car CO2 rose from 103 to 106 g/km. Renewables were 46.6% of its energy use; its purchased electricity is largely green, but its plants still burn natural gas. It has SBTi-validated near-term targets from 2019 but no SBTi net-zero target, and it has offset plant emissions since 2022. In 2025 it agreed to pay $149.6m to US states over diesel defeat devices, and InfluenceMap finds it pressed to weaken EU car CO2 standards.
Mercedes-Benz scores 29/100 (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 Mercedes-Benz joint 753rd of 1,023 companies scored, and joint 17th of 36 in Automotive.
What is Mercedes-Benz doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Transparency & Accountability (8/10, 8/10). Weakest on Controversies & Red Flags and Nature & Biodiversity Impact (1/10, 4/10).
Where Mercedes-Benz 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.
- Its effect on natureMeasure its effect on nature and have it independently verified.
- Whether its emissions are fallingShow a year-on-year fall in its total emissions.
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 falling5/10No evidence of a year-on-year fall in its total emissions.
- How clean its energy is5/10Less 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 targets6/10No validated long-term net zero target.
- How openly it reports8/10No 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 Mercedes-Benz's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleHas Mercedes-Benz's score changed?
Mercedes-Benz's score has been reviewed 2 times and currently stands where it started, at 29.
- 29 → 295 November 2026
Re-scored on v2.5 (brand batch: car makers, 2026-11-05); pre-v2.5 record
- Scored 294 April 2026
Initial score at platform launch
What evidence is Mercedes-Benz's score based on?
11 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
9% of them were published by Mercedes-Benz itself; the rest come from independent sources.
“Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions in the production plants by 50% by 2030 compared to 2018. This target was already achieved in 2022.”
“Mercedes-Benz betreibt seit 1961 am Produktionsstandort in Sindelfingen ein eigenes Heizkraftwerk.”
“alle Hersteller mit der Ausnahme von Mercedes-Benz auf Kurs, die EU-Emissionsziele für 2025-27 zu erreichen”
“Mercedes-Benz AG commits to reduce scope 3 GHG emissions from use of sold products 42% per vehicle kilometer by 2030 from a 2018 base year.”
“Mercedes-Benz’s CEO, Ola Källenius, is president of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA)”
“Mercedes-Benz USA and parent company Daimer AG have agreed to pay $149.6 million to settle allegations that the automaker secretly installed devices”
“agreed to pay $150 million Monday to settle claims brought by 50 state attorneys general”
“has agreed to pay fine of a 1 million kroner ($144,000) for greenwashing, the country’s consumer ombudsman said.”
“Mercedes har i dag accepteret en bøde på 1 million kroner for at overtræde markedsføringsloven”
“South Korea's Fair Trade Commission fined German carmaker Mercedes-Benz AG more than 20 billion South Korean won ($16.8 million)”
“Mercedes-Benz Group has been reporting scope 1 & 2 emissions for 30 years”
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
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How does Mercedes-Benz compare with other automotive companies?
Where Mercedes-Benz sits among automotive peers.
Among the 36 major automotive brands we've scored, Mercedes-Benz is tied =17th of 36, with 2 others.
Who scores higher in Automotive?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Mercedes-Benz.
Porsche's footprint was 16,798,745 tCO2e in 2025, down from 20,173,562 t in 2024, but much of the fall came from 15% lower unit sales; its per-vehicle decarbonization index fell only 3.7%.
See the breakdown →Ford's emissions are rising operationally while absolute reductions rely on lower sales volumes, not decarbonisation.
See the breakdown →JLR's footprint was 21,795,035 tCO2e in its year to March 2026, almost all of it from the materials it buys and the fuel its vehicles use.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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