Recently scored: Dentsu, Omnicom, Publicis Groupe, WPP
United Airlines·Aerospace·Chicago, United States·Founded 1968·Last verified 21 April 2026
21
out of 100
Significant gapsPending Review-10 since last review

United Airlines reports comprehensive Scope 1 and 2 emissions data but absolute emissions rose 5.76% in 2024. SAF comprises just 0.3% of fuel use, intensity targets mask rising absolute impact, and the company actively lobbies against climate policy through A4A and the US Chamber while excluding voluntary offsets from net-zero claims that lack SBTi validation.

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
Aerospace sector ceiling.
38 / 100
Performance score
Sum of the 10 rubric questions, scored 0–10 each.
33 / 100
Raw score
Weighted average before scale penalty.
(0.3 × 38) + (0.7 × 33) = 34.5
Scale penalty
Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.
× 0.6
Final score
Rounded. Significant gaps.
21 / 100
The ten questions

Where United Airlines is strong, and where it isn't.

Strongest on Carbon Footprint — Operations and Transparency & Accountability (7/10, 6/10). Weakest on Energy Source and Emissions Trajectory (1/10, 1/10).

Where the evidence comes from

Every document used, listed.

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

[1]Self-reported
Corporate Impact Report — Environment Data Appendix
2024
Q1Q2Q9
View →
[2]Third-party verified
Tracenable — United Airlines GHG Emissions Profile
Ongoing
Q1Q2Q3
View →
[3]Self-reported
Corporate Impact Report — Environmental Sustainability Roadmap
2024
Q3Q4
View →
[4]Self-reported
Corporate Impact Report — Sustainability
2024
Q4Q6
View →
[5]Self-reported
Corporate Impact Report — Community & Environmental Sustainability
2024
Q5Q7
View →
[6]Self-reported
Corporate Impact Report — Downloads & Data
2024
Q6Q7
View →
[7]Self-reported
Corporate Impact Report — Environmental Strategy
2024
Q8
View →
[8]Third-party verified
Trellis — SBTi Net-Zero Commitments Status
Unknown
Q8
View →
[9]Self-reported
Corporate Impact Report — Homepage
2024
Q9
View →
[10]Third-party verified
InfluenceMap — United Airlines Climate Policy Engagement
Ongoing
Q10
View →
[11]Public record
DeSmog — United Airlines IRA Repeal Advocacy
2024
Q10
View →
[12]Public record
ESG Dive — United Airlines SAF Greenwashing Lawsuit Dismissal
2024
Q10
View →

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

United Airlines in context

Where United Airlines sits among aerospace peers.

Among the 18 major aerospace brands we've scored, United Airlines sits 17th of 18.

17/18
United Airlines's rank
26
Industry average
20
Industry low
39
Industry high
How this score has moved

United Airlines's score over time.

today

Score history begins 8 February 2026.

As United Airlines'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 United Airlines

United Airlines Holdings is one of the largest US-based carriers, operating domestic and international flights. Founded in 1976, it operates a massive fleet burning approximately 4 billion gallons of jet fuel annually. As a major aerospace emitter, United ranks among the top 20 global corporate carbon producers by absolute emissions.

Founded
1968
Headquarters
Chicago, United States
Employees
~100,000
Annual revenue
~$57.1B
Company website ↗
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