Caterpillar sustainability score: 25/100

Caterpillar reports Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions under GHG Protocol; 2024 Scope 1 approximately 680,000 tCO₂e, total operational 1,450,000 tCO₂e. Limited assurance only—not full reasonable assurance—and only one Scope 3 category covered under verification envelope, constraining the score.

Only Scope 3 Category 11 (use of sold products) disclosed—759 million tCO₂e in 2023, rising in 2024—representing over 95% of total emissions. Upstream categories (purchased goods, capital goods, transport) not quantified. No supplier engagement programme data provided for unmeasured categories.

Scope 1+2 fell 3.3% from 2023 to 2024 and 34% since 2018, approaching 2030 target. However, Scope 3 Category 11 rising; 2023 report projected further increases in 2024. Total emissions trajectory—99% from product use—is upward, not downward.

Not RE100 member; no global renewable electricity percentage disclosed. San Luis Potosi, Mexico facility operates 100% on-site solar. Energy conservation projects underway but no enterprise-wide renewable target published across global manufacturing footprint.

No TNFD early adopter status or nature footprint disclosure. Core business—heavy equipment for construction and mining—directly causes habitat degradation and soil disturbance at scale, unaddressed in sustainability reporting. Water strategies at 61% of high-risk facilities by 2024; no biodiversity policy or SBTN engagement identified.

2030 goal: 50% landfill intensity reduction from 2018; achieved 18% intensity reduction overall by 2023. Claims 100% of new 2024 products more sustainable than predecessors. Cat Reman remanufacturing programme substantive. Intensity targets limit score; supplier sustainability requirements not evidenced.

2030 goal: water management strategies at 100% of high-risk facilities; 61% achieved as of 2024. Conservation measures at water-stressed sites documented. Intensity data historically tracked but no 2023–2024 absolute withdrawal figures or watershed certification identified.

30% absolute Scope 1+2 reduction from 2018 to 2030, internally described as science-based and aligned to SBTi 'well below 2°C' methodology. Not formally validated by SBTi Target Dashboard. No net-zero target and no Scope 3 reduction target for dominant product-use emissions.

Annual Sustainability Report, integrated TCFD disclosure, AB1305 compliance statement, lobbying disclosures since 2023. Executive compensation includes ESG metrics since 2022. Limited assurance of GHG data conducted annually. No B Corp structure or SBTi validation; governance lacks shareholder voting on climate targets.

Executives serve on boards of US Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, and Consumer Energy Alliance—all documented as obstructing US climate policy including Inflation Reduction Act implementation. Published lobbying disclosures signal transparency but company has not distanced from misaligned associations.