Automotive

Tesla, Inc. sustainability score: 23/100

23/100
Significant gaps-3 since last review
Joint 24th of 26 in Automotive

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About Tesla, Inc.

Tesla designs, makes and sells electric vehicles, battery energy storage and solar products, with gigafactories in North America, Europe and Asia. It is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and had about 134,785 employees and $94.8 billion in revenue in FY2025.

Founded 2003Head office Austin, Texas, United StatesStaff ~134,785 (FY2025)Revenue $94,827M revenues (FY2025)Website ↗

Our verdict

Tesla's absolute emissions are rising: Scope 3 grew 14% from 2023 to 2025 and Scope 1 rose 43% over the same period, while it highlights emissions its customers avoid. Its 2040 net-zero target has no near-term milestone or SBTi validation, renewable matching is partial (100% in Berlin, 28% in Texas), and its Fremont factory has a long record of air-quality violations.

Tesla, Inc. scores 23/100 (Significant gaps) 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 Tesla, Inc. joint 849th of 934 companies scored, and joint 24th of 26 in Automotive.

The ten questions

What is Tesla, Inc. doing well, and where does it fall short?

Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Carbon Footprint: Supply Chain (7/10, 6/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Nature & Biodiversity Impact (0/10, 2/10).

What's missing

Where Tesla, Inc. lost points

For each question that lost points, the evidence our public rubric looks for that we didn't find.

  • Emissions from its own operations7/10Its own emissions aren't independently verified or tracked over several years.
  • Emissions from its supply chain6/10No full value-chain map or supplier engagement programme.
  • Whether its emissions are falling0/10No evidence its emissions are falling, not even from energy bills or mileage.
  • How clean its energy is4/10Less 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 waste5/10No measurable waste or recycling targets reported publicly.
  • Its effect on water4/10No measured water footprint with reduction targets.
  • Its climate targets3/10No specific targets with dates.
  • How openly it reports5/10No dedicated sustainability role, board oversight or public report.
  • Its record on controversies4/10Points 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.

The calculation

How is Tesla, Inc.'s SINK score calculated?

Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.

SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale
Industry base impact
Automotive sector ceiling.
35 / 100
Performance score
Sum of the ten questions, each scored 0 to 10.
40 / 100
Raw score
Weighted average before scale penalty.
(0.3 × 35) + (0.7 × 40) = 38.5
Scale penalty
Multiplier based on total emissions. Bigger polluters lose more.
× 0.6
Final score
Rounded. Significant gaps.
23 / 100
How this score has moved

Has Tesla, Inc.'s score changed?

Tesla, Inc.'s score has moved from 26 to 23 across 2 recorded reviews, down 3 points.

0255075100264 April 20262317 October 2026
  1. 26 → 23-317 October 2026

    Fortune 50 re-score (owner-approved batch 2, 2026-10-17)

  2. Scored 264 April 2026

    Initial score at platform launch

Where the evidence comes from

What evidence is Tesla, Inc.'s score based on?

10 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.

20% of them were published by Tesla, Inc. itself; the rest come from independent sources.

[1]Self-reported
Tesla 2025 Extended Impact Report

“Totals 302,000*”

2025
Q1Q2Q3Q4Q6Q7Q8Q9
View →
[2]Independent source
Tesla First Net-Zero Target (Trellis article)

“Its Scope 1 emissions (from operations) have grown 43 percent since 2023, while its Scope 2 (purchased electricity) number is up 80 percent”

Unknown
Q1Q2Q4Q8Q9
View →
[3]Independent source
Lizards, Snakes Block Construction on Tesla's Berlin Plant

“won an injunction over threats to the habitats of resident lizards and snakes”

2020
Q5
View →
[4]Independent source
Bats, Birds and Ants Evicted for New German Tesla Plant
2020
Q5
View →
[5]Public record
Bay Area Air Quality Management District – Tesla Abatement Order (June 2024)

“resulting in over 112 Notices of Violation since 2019”

2024
Q10
View →
[6]Independent source
Tesla Gets Wrist Slap from EPA for Violating Clean Air Act

“Tesla has agreed to pay a $275,000 fine in a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency”

2022
Q10
View →
[7]Independent source
Tesla is Sued Over Emissions from California Plant

“violating the federal Clean Air Act hundreds of times”

2024
Q10
View →
[8]Independent source
Automakers Continue to Lobby for Global Heating Against EVs

“every one of those automakers except Tesla”

2024
Q10
View →
[9]Independent source
Worries about Water Needs of Tesla's Berlin Factory Not Ebbing Away

“continues to cause worries about the production”

Unknown
Q7
View →
[10]Self-reported
Tesla 2024 Extended Impact Report
2024
Q9
View →

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

For Tesla

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    Tesla, Inc.: SINK sustainability score 23/100.

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Tesla, Inc. in context

How does Tesla, Inc. compare with other automotive companies?

Where Tesla, Inc. sits among automotive peers.

Among the 26 major automotive brands we've scored, Tesla, Inc. is tied =24th of 26, with 1 other.

=24/26
Tesla, Inc.'s rank
30
Industry average
22
Industry low
45
Industry high
See all 26 in Automotive →
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