UnitedHealth sustainability score: 35/100
Making progress starts at 46. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Limited independent evidence: only two independent sources cover this company. The score may change as more evidence appears.
UnitedHealth Group is a US health insurer and health services company headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, operating UnitedHealthcare benefits and Optum health services. It had more than 390,000 employees and $447.6 billion in FY2025 revenue.
Founded 1977Head office Eden Prairie, Minnesota, United StatesStaff ~390,000 (FY2025)Revenue $447,567M total revenues (FY2025)Website ↗
UnitedHealth cut market-based operational emissions 55% from 2023 to 2025, mainly by buying renewable electricity (44% of use in 2025), but location-based operational emissions fell only about 4% and value-chain emissions rose 2%. Its Scope 3 leaves out care spend. Portfolio temperature scores worsened, and no biodiversity, water or waste metrics were found.
UnitedHealth scores 35/100 (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 UnitedHealth joint 572nd of 1,023 companies scored, and joint 10th of 17 in Insurance.
What is UnitedHealth doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Targets & Commitments (7/10, 7/10). Weakest on Nature & Biodiversity Impact and Emissions Trajectory (2/10, 3/10).
Where UnitedHealth 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 natureAssess its effect on nature and publish a basic environmental policy.
- Whether its emissions are fallingShow its emissions are falling.
- How it uses materials and handles wasteShow active waste reduction, reuse or repair.
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 chain5/10Most of its supply-chain (Scope 3) emissions aren't measured.
- Whether its emissions are falling3/10No evidence its emissions are falling.
- How clean its energy is5/10Less than half its energy shown to be renewable, or no transition plan.
- Its effect on nature2/10No assessment of its effect on nature, and no basic environmental policy.
- How it uses materials and handles waste3/10No active waste reduction, reuse or repair shown.
- Its effect on water3/10No monitoring of water use, or no measures to reduce it.
- Its climate targets7/10No validated long-term net zero target.
- How openly it reports6/10No annual impact report, or no pay linked to climate targets.
- Its record on controversies6/10Points 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 UnitedHealth's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleWhat evidence is UnitedHealth's score based on?
8 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
50% of them were published by UnitedHealth itself; the rest come from independent sources.
“Select metrics have been externally assured by Deloitte & Touche, LLP as identified in the performance tables.”
“We will minimize our company's overall environmental impact by reducing our carbon footprint, ensuring efficient use of resources”
“Through the 15-year, 250-megawatt agreement, UnitedHealth Group will purchase clean energy”
“As of December 31, 2025, we had more than 390,000 employees, of whom nearly 165,000 were clinical professionals.”
“UnitedHealth Group is a member of the US Chamber of Commerce, which is actively opposed to US climate policy.”
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How does UnitedHealth compare with other insurance companies?
Where UnitedHealth sits among insurance peers.
Among the 17 major insurance brands we've scored, UnitedHealth is tied =10th of 17, with 1 other.
Who scores higher in Insurance?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above UnitedHealth.
Admiral discloses mandatory carbon metrics but hasn't cut absolute emissions—Scope 1&2 rose 10% in 2025.
See the breakdown →Humana's Scope 1 and 2 emissions, reported with third-party assurance, fell from 104,118 tCO2e in 2022 to 95,418 in 2024 and rose slightly to 96,532 in 2025.
See the breakdown →Zurich's operational emissions are about 68% below 2019 but were flat in 2025, and the financed emissions of its corporate holdings rose slightly in the year.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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