Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.·Financial Services / Banking·200 West Street, United States·Founded 1869·Last verified 31 May 2026
36
out of 100
Below expectationsPending Review-7 since last review

Goldman Sachs operates as a top-10 global fossil fuel financier ($87.2B since 2021, $28.5B in 2024) while claiming net-zero commitments—a fundamental contradiction. Operational emissions reporting is granular but excludes the material financed emissions category. The bank exited Climate Action 100+ under political pressure, faces SEC greenwashing penalties, and relies on intensity targets and offsets rather than absolute reductions.

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.
42 / 100
Raw score
Weighted average before scale penalty.
(0.3 × 50) + (0.7 × 42) = 44.4
Scale penalty
Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.
× 0.82
Final score
Rounded. Below expectations.
36 / 100
The ten questions

Where Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. 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 Nature & Biodiversity Impact (2/10, 2/10).

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.

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

[1]Third-party verified
Ditch Carbon — Goldman Sachs Organization Profile
Ongoing
Q1Q2Q3
View →
[2]Self-reported
Goldman Sachs — Our Operational Impact
Ongoing
Q1Q8
View →
[3]Third-party verified
BankTrack — Goldman Sachs Profile
Ongoing
Q2Q3Q10
View →
[4]SEC filing
SEC Filing — 14a-8 Corporate Governance Proposal (ESG Shareholder)
2024
Q2
View →
[5]Self-reported
Goldman Sachs — Our 2025 Operational Goals
Ongoing
Q4Q6Q7
View →
[6]Self-reported
Goldman Sachs — Accelerating the Grid's Transition to Renewable Energy (LinkedIn)
Unknown
Q4
View →
[7]Self-reported
Goldman Sachs — Nature and Biodiversity Research
Ongoing
Q5
View →
[8]Self-reported
Goldman Sachs — Sustainable Finance Framework
Ongoing
Q5
View →
[9]Third-party verified
Statista — Goldman Sachs Carbon Emissions by Category
Unknown
Q3
View →
[10]Third-party verified
Net Zero Tracker — Goldman Sachs Group Corporate Profile
Ongoing
Q8Q9
View →
[11]SEC filing
SEC Press Release 2022-209 — GSAM ESG Fund Enforcement Action
2022
Q10
View →
[12]Public record
ESG Today — Goldman Sachs Asset Management Exits Climate Action 100+
2024
Q10
View →
[13]Third-party verified
InfluenceMap — Goldman Sachs Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Ongoing
Q10
View →
[14]Self-reported
Goldman Sachs — 2023 Sustainability Report
2023
Q9
View →
[15]Self-reported
Goldman Sachs — Investor Relations Sustainability Reporting
Ongoing
Q9
View →

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

Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. in context

Where Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. sits among financial services / banking peers.

Among the 29 major financial services / banking brands we've scored, Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is tied =20th of 29, with 1 other.

=20/29
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.'s rank
40
Industry average
23
Industry low
65
Industry high
How this score has moved

Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.'s score over time.

today

Score history begins 8 February 2026.

As Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.'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 Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

Goldman Sachs is a multinational investment banking and financial services firm headquartered in New York. Founded in 1869, it provides investment banking, securities trading, asset management, and wealth management services globally. With approximately 34,400 employees and $53.5B in FY2024 revenue, it ranks among the world's largest investment banks by assets under management.

Founded
1869
Headquarters
200 West Street, United States
Employees
~46,400
Annual revenue
~$46.3B
Company website ↗
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