Recently scored: Dentsu, Omnicom, Publicis Groupe, WPP
Merck·Healthcare / Pharmaceuticals·Rahway, New Jersey, US·Founded 1968·Last verified 21 April 2026
39
out of 100
Below expectationsPending Review

Merck has SBTi-validated near-term targets and renewable energy progress, but relies heavily on offsets for claimed 2025 carbon neutrality. Scope 3 emissions are 7x larger than direct operations with minimal public quantification. Historical water pollution incidents and unaudited trade association climate lobbying undermine credibility.

The calculation

Every score shows its working.

Same formula for every company. No curve. No private weighting.

SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale
Industry base impact
Healthcare / Pharmaceuticals sector ceiling.
45 / 100
Performance score
Sum of the 10 rubric questions, scored 0–10 each.
49 / 100
Raw score
Weighted average before scale penalty.
(0.3 × 45) + (0.7 × 49) = 47.8
Scale penalty
Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.
× 0.82
Final score
Rounded. Below expectations.
39 / 100
The ten questions

Where Merck is strong, and where it isn't.

Strongest on Carbon Footprint — Operations and Energy Source (6/10, 6/10). Weakest on Nature & Biodiversity Impact and Resource Use & Waste (3/10, 4/10).

Where the evidence comes from

Every document used, listed.

13 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which rubric questions it informed.

[1]Self-reported
2023 Basis of Reporting
2024
Q1Q2Q9
View →
[2]Self-reported
Environmental Sustainability
Ongoing
Q1Q2
View →
[3]Self-reported
Merck Reports Strong Progress in ESG Focus Areas
Unknown
Q3
View →
[4]Self-reported
Merck Accelerates Climate Goals, Announces Carbon Neutrality in Operations by 2025
Unknown
Q3Q8
View →
[5]Self-reported
Merck Reports Strong Momentum in 2023-2024 Impact Report
2024
Q4Q9
View →
[6]Self-reported
Merck Advances Clean Energy Goals with Invenergy
Unknown
Q4
View →
[7]Self-reported
Sustainability Content Topic
Ongoing
Q5Q6
View →
[8]Self-reported
merck.com — merck publishes 2023 2024 impact report
Unknown
Q6
View →
[9]Third-party verified
UN Global Compact Case Example: Merck Water Stewardship
Unknown
Q7
View →
[10]Third-party verified
CDP Water Security Questionnaire 2023
2023
Q7
View →
[11]Self-reported
Climate Change Policy
2023
Q8
View →
[12]Public record
EPA Enforcement: Merck & Co. Settlement
Unknown
Q10
View →
[13]Third-party verified
InfluenceMap: Merck Climate Change Lobbying
Unknown
Q10
View →

If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.

Merck in context

Where Merck sits among healthcare / pharmaceuticals peers.

Among the 11 major healthcare / pharmaceuticals brands we've scored, Merck sits 10th of 11.

10/11
Merck's rank
47
Industry average
39
Industry low
56
Industry high
How this score has moved

Merck's score over time.

today

Score history begins 4 April 2026.

As Merck'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.

What's being contested

This score is not currently being contested.

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.

About Merck

Merck & Co. is a global pharmaceutical and healthcare company headquartered in New Jersey, USA. One of the world's largest drug manufacturers, it develops and sells vaccines, oncology, infectious disease, and cardiovascular treatments. The company operates manufacturing facilities across North America, Europe, and Asia with significant supply chain complexity.

Founded
1968
Headquarters
Rahway, New Jersey, US
Employees
~74,000
Annual revenue
~$64B
Company website ↗
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