Sony sustainability score: 45/100
Sony is a Tokyo-based group whose games (PlayStation), music and film businesses bring in about two-thirds of its sales; it also makes cameras, TVs, audio equipment and image sensors. Sony Group Corporation was established in 1946 as Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo and took the Sony name in 1958.
More about Sony
It had about 94,900 employees in March 2026 and ¥12.48 trillion sales in its year to March 2026.
Founded 1946Head office Tokyo, JapanStaff ~94,900 (31 March 2026)Revenue ~¥12.48T sales (FY to Mar 2026)Website ↗
Sony's footprint was 18.2 million tCO2e in its year to March 2025, 60% of it the electricity its products use in customers' homes; the total has fallen since 2022, but its own operations' emissions are higher than in 2022. 40% of its sites' electricity is renewable, against an RE100 goal of 100% by 2030. It has SBTi-validated absolute targets, with net zero by 2040. Its waste per unit worsened 30% and its water use is rising, though it reports both and has assessed its nature exposure under TNFD.
Sony scores 45/100 (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 November 2026.
That places Sony joint 280th of 934 companies scored, and 10th of 28 in Media / Entertainment / Publishing.
What is Sony doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Targets & Commitments and Carbon Footprint: Operations (9/10, 8/10). Weakest on Energy Source and Nature & Biodiversity Impact (5/10, 5/10).
Where Sony lost points
For each question that lost points, the evidence our public rubric looks for that we didn't find.
- Emissions from its own operations8/10No verified figures published with their method and a falling trend.
- Emissions from its supply chain8/10Its Scope 3 emissions aren't fully verified or falling year on year.
- Whether its emissions are falling6/10No consistent fall over several years across its operations and supply chain.
- How clean its energy is5/10Less than half its energy shown to be renewable, or no transition plan.
- Its effect on nature5/10Its 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 targets9/10No validated long-term net zero target.
- How openly it reports8/10No mission-locked structure, such as B Corp certification.
- Its record on controversies7/10Points 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 Sony's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleHas Sony's score changed?
Sony's score has moved from 40 to 45 across 2 recorded reviews, up 5 points.
- 40 → 45+54 November 2026
Re-scored on v2.5 (brand batch: streaming, owner rulings 2026-11-04): category 11 not material for C3; Sony sector Media / Entertainment by majority revenue; Spotify swing signed off as owner. Sector corrected "Electronics / Hardware" (base 40) → "Media / Entertainment / Publishing" (base 60), sourced from OWNER_RULING Owner ruling 2026-11-04: Media / Entertainment / Publishing under the majority-revenue rule. Sony Group Corporation Form 20-F for the year ended 31 March 2026 (filed 18 June 2026), sales to external customers (yen millions): Game & Network Services 4,570,053 (of which Hardware & Others 1,391,622), Music 2,090,534, Pictures 1,486,296, Entertainment, Technology & Services 2,184,815, Imaging & Sensing Solutions 2,059,020; consolidated sales 12,479,620. Games, music and pictures are 65.3% of sales, and 54.1% with PlayStation hardware counted as hardware, so entertainment is the majority either way. The Electronics / Hardware mapping is overridden.
- Scored 404 April 2026
Initial score at platform launch
What evidence is Sony's score based on?
9 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
22% of them were published by Sony itself; the rest come from independent sources.
“Greenhouse gas emissions: Scope 1 (direct emissions)*1 Group-wide ISO 14001 certified sites*2 Thousand mt-CO2 230 241 235”
“Sony Corporation also commits that 10% of its suppliers by emissions covering purchased goods and services, will have science-based targets by FY2025.”
“In 2021, Sony’s operations were powered only 7 percent by renewable energy, a ratio that is quite low compared to many of its global peers”
“its 35% renewable electricity rate, achieving 40.1%”
“water intensity increased due to rapid expansion of its semiconductor business”
“This company received a CDP Water Security score of A-.”
“As of March 31, 2026, Sony had approximately 94,900 employees”
“now accounting for over 60% of consolidated Sony Group sales”
“for 2025, they have a goal of reducing water use intensity by 5% at their high water-usage sites”
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How does Sony compare with other media / entertainment / publishing companies?
Where Sony sits among media / entertainment / publishing peers.
Among the 28 major media / entertainment / publishing brands we've scored, Sony sits 10th of 28.
Who scores higher in Media / Entertainment / Publishing?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Sony.
RELX operates strong emissions reduction in operations (61% absolute cut since 2018) and holds validated 1.5°C targets, but Scope 3 emissions are flat and fossil fuel sector engagement creates material greenwashing concerns.
See the breakdown →ITV's reported footprint fell 20% to 259,264 tCO2e in 2025, mostly the programmes and services it buys; it also estimates viewers' device energy at 394,165 t, which it leaves out of its total and targets.
See the breakdown →Channel 4's footprint was 388,397 tCO2e in 2025, over 99% of it in its supply chain, mostly the programmes it commissions, and it rose 2% on 2024; it puts the fall since 2021 down mainly to lower spending and better data.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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