HSBC rolled back its net-zero target by 20 years in 2025, exited SBTi validation, and continues financing fossil fuel expansion at nearly 3:1 the rate of green finance. An ASA-upheld greenwashing ruling, active lobbying against climate policy, and policy weakening across energy and thermal coal expose systematic misalignment between public commitments and actual financing behaviour.
Same formula for every company. No curve. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleStrongest on Carbon Footprint — Operations and Energy Source (7/10, 6/10). Weakest on Controversies & Red Flags and Targets & Commitments (2/10, 2/10).
23 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which rubric questions it informed.
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
Among the 27 major financial services / banking brands we've scored, HSBC Holdings plc sits 20th of 27.
Score history begins 8 February 2026.
As HSBC Holdings plc's score updates, the trajectory will appear here.
We're backfilling historical scores for FTSE 100 and S&P 100 companies over the coming weeks.
Every challenge is published. We'd rather be corrected than wrong — that's the whole point.
No challenges submitted yet. If you have evidence that contradicts this score, you can challenge any question above — cite a public source and we'll review it.
HSBC Holdings plc is a global systemically important bank headquartered in London, operating across approximately 60 countries with a multi-trillion-dollar balance sheet. It is one of the world's largest financial institutions by assets, serving corporate, retail, and institutional clients across banking, wealth management, and investment services.
UK systemically important bank with fossil fuel financing dominance and similar net-zero target weakness
View breakdown →Global investment bank with largest absolute fossil fuel financing and offset reliance despite net-zero pledge
View breakdown →Similarly scaled global bank that also exited SBTi and weakened climate commitments in 2024
View breakdown →Oil major rolling back energy transition targets; parallel corporate greenwashing and lobbying pattern
View breakdown →Email alerts when a rubric question is verified, a challenge is resolved, or the overall score changes.
One email, every Sunday. Score changes, new research, the stories behind the numbers. Free.
No spam. Unsubscribe in one click.
Readers and institutions support our work. Companies can pay to submit evidence we couldn't find. Neither type of payment changes a score.