How we score eco company reviews
Every company we review faces the same 20 tests, four in each of five areas. Each test is worth up to 5 points, which gives 20 points per area and 100 in total.
The 20 tests
| Area | Test | What earns the full 5 points |
|---|---|---|
| Sustainability | Net zero target | A dated target covering its own operations and its supply chain |
| Sustainability | Independent approval | Targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative or an equal body |
| Sustainability | Progress reports | Yearly public figures showing progress against each target |
| Sustainability | Core business | The main product or service reduces environmental harm rather than adding to it |
| Green Credentials | Certification | Current outside certification of the whole company, such as B Corp, or of its main materials |
| Green Credentials | Independent ratings | A top grade from an independent body that publishes its ratings, such as Good On You |
| Green Credentials | Rankings | A place in independent sustainability rankings in the last three years |
| Green Credentials | Clean record | No upheld greenwashing ruling or environmental penalty in the last five years |
| Corporate Social Responsibility | Supply chain | Audited supplier standards and a detailed modern slavery statement |
| Corporate Social Responsibility | Pay and conditions | Living wage accreditation or equal, and no upheld labour rulings |
| Corporate Social Responsibility | Community | Community or charitable investment that is measured and published |
| Corporate Social Responsibility | Openness | Full public reporting and no serious governance scandal in the last five years |
| Carbon Footprint | Disclosure | Publishes emissions for operations, energy and supply chain |
| Carbon Footprint | Direction | Total emissions falling over the last three to five years |
| Carbon Footprint | Clean energy | All or nearly all electricity from renewable sources |
| Carbon Footprint | Scale and investment | Low emissions for its sector and no new money going into fossil fuel expansion |
| Recycling, Reuse, Reduction | Waste | Little or no waste sent to landfill, with published figures |
| Recycling, Reuse, Reduction | Materials and packaging | Mostly recycled or recyclable materials and packaging |
| Recycling, Reuse, Reduction | Take back and repair | Working schemes to take back, repair, refill or resell products |
| Recycling, Reuse, Reduction | Reduction | Falling use of plastic and raw materials, with published figures |
How points are awarded
| Points | What it means |
|---|---|
| 0 | No evidence, or evidence of the opposite |
| 1 to 2 | A promise or partial action |
| 3 | Delivery shown with published figures |
| 4 | Strong delivery, checked by an outside body |
| 5 | Leading its sector, checked by an outside body for several years |
What the total means
- 80 to 100: leader
- 60 to 79: strong
- 40 to 59: mixed
- 20 to 39: weak
- 0 to 19: very weak
Our rules on evidence and fairness
- Sources. We use company reports, regulators, courts and independent bodies. Each claim links to its source.
- Dates. We use evidence from the last three years where it exists, and each review shows the date it was last checked.
- Missing evidence. Where we cannot find published evidence for a test, we say so. That test then scores 2 points at most, and fewer where the company publishes little or nothing on the subject.
- Ratings we quote. We only quote ratings whose publishers allow them to be republished. Where a company is rated only by bodies that do not allow this, it receives a neutral 2 points for that test.
- Certificates. Certificates for single sites or management systems, such as ISO 14001, do not earn points on their own, because they do not cover the company as a whole.
- Rankings. Most sustainability rankings cover only companies listed on a stock market. A listed company with no place in one scores 0 for that test, and a company that is not listed scores 1.
- Facts and opinion. The facts are sourced. The score is our opinion, based on those facts.
- No payment. No company can pay for a review, a score or a place in the index.
- Right of reply. Any company can send us corrections, and we date each correction on the page.
- Yearly review. Every score is checked at least once a year.
Frequently asked questions
How is an eco score worked out?
Each company faces the same 20 tests, four in each of five areas. Each test is worth up to 5 points, which gives 20 points per area and 100 in total.
Can a company pay for a better score?
No. No company can pay for a review, a score or a place in the index.
What evidence do you use?
Public sources that anyone can open: company reports, regulators, courts and independent bodies such as the Science Based Targets initiative, B Lab and Corporate Knights. Each claim links to its source.
What happens when a company publishes no evidence?
Where we cannot find published evidence for a test, we say so in the review and that test scores 2 points at most. The company can send us the evidence, and we will update the score and date the change.
How often are scores updated?
Every score is checked at least once a year, and sooner when a company publishes new figures or a regulator makes a ruling.