Banco Santander·Financial Services / Banking·Santander, Spain·Founded 1857·Last verified 31 May 2026
39
out of 100
Below expectationsPending Review

Santander operates strong renewable energy and operational emissions reductions but masks systematic financed emissions weakness. The bank weakened fossil fuel policies after raising billions for LNG, funds deforestation-linked agribusiness in Brazil, and ranks among Europe's top fossil fuel financiers. Green rhetoric collides with documented evasion.

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
Financial Services / Banking sector ceiling.
50 / 100
Performance score
Sum of the 10 rubric questions, scored 0–10 each.
46 / 100
Raw score
Weighted average before scale penalty.
(0.3 × 50) + (0.7 × 46) = 47.2
Scale penalty
Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.
× 0.82
Final score
Rounded. Below expectations.
39 / 100
The ten questions

Where Banco Santander is strong, and where it isn't.

Strongest on Carbon Footprint — Operations and Energy Source (7/10, 7/10). Weakest on Controversies & Red Flags and Targets & Commitments (3/10, 3/10).

Where the evidence comes from

Every document used, listed.

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

9 of 15 sources are third-party verified or public record.

[1]Third-party verified
DitchCarbon Banco Santander Profile
Ongoing
Q1Q2Q8
View →
[2]Self-reported
Banco Santander Climate Transition Plan
Ongoing
Q1Q3Q4
View →
[3]Self-reported
Banco Santander Poland ESG Emissions Disclosures
2024
Q2
View →
[4]Third-party verified
BankTrack: Banco Santander Fossil Fuel Policy Backtracking
Unknown
Q3Q8Q10
View →
[5]Public record
The Markets Daily: Banco Santander 2026 AGM Record Profit Announcement
2026
Q4
View →
[6]Third-party verified
Unearthed/Greenpeace: UBS and Santander Green Bonds Linked to Deforestation and Slave Labour
2023
Q5Q10
View →
[7]Third-party verified
Global Canopy: TNFD LEAP Approach Case Study—Santander Peru
Unknown
Q5
View →
[8]Third-party verified
Mighty Earth: Banks Financing Brazilian Beef Linked to Deforestation
Unknown
Q5
View →
[9]Self-reported
Santander US 2022 Prosperity with Purpose Report
2022
Q6
View →
[10]Self-reported
Santander Mexico Environmental Management and Footprint
Unknown
Q6Q7
View →
[11]Third-party verified
Water Action Hub: Banco Santander Water Profile
Ongoing
Q7
View →
[12]Third-party verified
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism: Santander Weakened Fossil Fuel Policy
2024
Q10
View →
[13]Third-party verified
InfluenceMap: Banco Santander Climate Finance Lobbying
Unknown
Q10
View →
[14]Self-reported
Banco Santander US 2024 Sustainability Disclosures
2024
Q9
View →
[15]Self-reported
Banco Santander Q1 2025 Sustainability Presentation
2025
Q9
View →

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

Banco Santander in context

Where Banco Santander sits among financial services / banking peers.

Among the 29 major financial services / banking brands we've scored, Banco Santander is tied =15th of 29, with 3 others.

=15/29
Banco Santander's rank
40
Industry average
23
Industry low
65
Industry high
How this score has moved

Banco Santander's score over time.

today

Score history begins 6 April 2026.

As Banco Santander'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 Banco Santander

Banco Santander is a multinational banking group headquartered in Santander, Spain, operating across Europe, the Americas, and Asia with over €1.7 trillion in assets. Founded in 1857, it ranks among Europe's largest financial institutions by market capitalisation, providing retail, commercial, and investment banking services.

Founded
1857
Headquarters
Santander, Spain
Employees
~210,000
Annual revenue
~€62.4B
Company website ↗
Track Banco Santander

We'll let you know when the score moves.

Email alerts when a rubric question is verified, a challenge is resolved, or the overall score changes.

THE SUNDAY RUNDOWN

Which companies moved this week, and why.

One email, every Sunday. Score changes, new research, the stories behind the numbers. Free.

No spam. Unsubscribe in one click.

HOW SINK STAYS INDEPENDENT

Readers and institutions support our work. Companies can pay to submit evidence we couldn't find. Neither type of payment changes a score.