ABB sustainability score: 35/100
ABB is a Swiss electrical engineering and automation group headquartered in Zurich. Electrification, its largest business, brings in about half its revenue, and motors and drives and industrial automation about a quarter each; its robotics business is being sold to SoftBank.
More about ABB
ABB Ltd was incorporated in 1999, and its roots go back to 1883. It had about 111,900 employees and $33.2 billion revenue in 2025.
Founded 1999Head office Zurich, SwitzerlandStaff ~111,900 (end 2025)Revenue ~$33.2B revenues (FY2025, continuing operations)Website ↗
ABB's own emissions are 79% below 2019, but its total footprint rose 8% in 2025 to 425 MtCO2e, 97% of it the modelled lifetime energy use and losses of the products it sells. Its net-zero targets are SBTi-validated, but its supply-chain emissions are only about 1% below 2022 and ABB says it is behind its planned path. 98% of its electricity is renewable, mostly through unbundled certificates, its total waste rose 15%, and InfluenceMap records it as a direct member of the American Petroleum Institute and APPEA, which oppose ambitious climate policy.
ABB scores 35/100 (Below expectations) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Scores are free. Companies can never pay for anything about their own score. Last verified October 2026.
That places ABB joint 540th of 934 companies scored, and joint 7th of 12 in Electrical Equipment / Lighting.
What is ABB doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Targets & Commitments (9/10, 9/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Nature & Biodiversity Impact (4/10, 4/10).
Where ABB lost points
For each question that lost points, the evidence our public rubric looks for that we didn't find.
- Emissions from its own operations9/10No 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 is6/10Less than 90% of its energy shown to be renewable.
- Its effect on nature4/10Its effect on nature isn't measured or independently verified.
- How it uses materials and handles waste6/10No verified figures for reuse and recycling across the business.
- Its effect on water5/10No measured water footprint with reduction targets.
- Its climate targets9/10No validated long-term net zero target.
- How openly it reports8/10No mission-locked structure, such as B Corp certification.
- 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 ABB's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleHas ABB's score changed?
ABB's score has been reviewed 4 times and currently stands where it started, at 35.
- 35 → 3530 October 2026
Re-scored under methodology v2.5 with ABB's 2025 reports; owner ruling 2026-10-30. Score unchanged at 35: Q10 -2 for named misaligned trade groups; use-phase note added.
- 35 → 3529 October 2026
Bio correction, score unchanged. Founded 1993 -> 1999: ABB's Financial Report 2025 states that ABB Ltd was incorporated on 5 March 1999 (PDF p.6). The ABB Group itself was formed in 1988 by the merger of Asea and BBC Brown Boveri.
- 35 → 3529 October 2026
Bio correction, score unchanged. Headquarters "Prague, Czech Republic" -> "Zurich, Switzerland" per the ABB Corporate Governance Report 2025 (PDF p.31: "ABB Ltd, Affolternstrasse 44, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland"; https://library.e.abb.com/public/bc1006d43af74c8f866f0344da67362e/ABB%20Corporate%20Governance%20Report%202025.pdf).
- Scored 3511 April 2026
Initial score at platform launch
What evidence is ABB's score based on?
10 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
40% of them were published by ABB itself; the rest come from independent sources.
97% of ABB's reported footprint (414.2 of 425.4 MtCO2e in 2025) is modelled: the electricity its motors, automation products and robots are expected to use over their lifetimes, and the energy its drives and switchgear lose, worked out from sales and order data with IEA grid factors. We use the reported total, as we do for the use-phase emissions of oil and car makers. How to treat use-phase emissions for products that enable clean energy is on our list for the next methodology review.
“79 percent in our scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions compared to 2019.”
“We also operate our Robotics business, which is reported as discontinued operations in our Consolidated Financial Statements”
“Reduce scope 3 CO₂e emissions by 25% by 2030”
“In addition, it plans to reduce its Scope 3 emissions by 25% from a 2022 baseline.”
“committing to sourcing 100% renewable electricity by the same date”
“This recognition places it among the select 1% of the 22,100 companies assessed that achieved top scores in both climate change and water management.”
“ABB is a direct member of the American Petroleum Institute and Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA)”
“Two subsidiaries of ABB pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act”
“Swedish-Swiss engineering company ABB has agreed to pay ~R5.5 billion to settle US criminal charges related to irregular contracts with Eskom.”
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How does ABB compare with other electrical equipment / lighting companies?
Where ABB sits among electrical equipment / lighting peers.
Among the 12 major electrical equipment / lighting brands we've scored, ABB is tied =7th of 12, with 2 others.
Who scores higher in Electrical Equipment / Lighting?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above ABB.
Signify's reported footprint fell 61% from 2019 to 165 MtCO2e in 2025, but 99.5% of it is the modelled lifetime electricity use of the lamps it sells, so much of the fall comes from cleaner grids and more efficient LEDs.
See the breakdown →Schneider Electric's reported footprint is 60.7 MtCO2e, 79% of it the modelled lifetime electricity use of the products it sells, and it fell only 0.8% in 2025.
See the breakdown →Nexans has cut its own emissions 49% since 2019 and has SBTi-validated 1.5°C and net-zero targets.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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