Hyundai Motor Company·Automotive·Seoul, South Korea·Founded 1976·Last verified 31 May 2026
23
out of 100
Significant gapsPending Review-16 since last review

Hyundai reports operational emissions transparently but absolute global emissions rose 6% in 2023, driven by use-phase Scope 3 that dominates the footprint. The company lacks SBTi-validated targets, sources coal-powered aluminum from Indonesia, and faces documented greenwashing criticism for LNG expansion after RE100 pledges. Supply chain accountability and emissions trajectory remain the weakest areas.

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
Automotive sector ceiling.
35 / 100
Performance score
Sum of the 10 rubric questions, scored 0–10 each.
40 / 100
Raw score
Weighted average before scale penalty.
(0.3 × 35) + (0.7 × 40) = 38.5
Scale penalty
Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.
× 0.6
Final score
Rounded. Significant gaps.
23 / 100
The ten questions

Where Hyundai Motor Company is strong, and where it isn't.

Strongest on Carbon Footprint — Operations and Transparency & Accountability (7/10, 6/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Controversies & Red Flags (1/10, 3/10).

Where the evidence comes from

Every document used, listed.

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

14 of 17 sources are third-party verified or public record.

[1]Self-reported
Hyundai Motor 2025 Sustainability Report — Environmental
2025
Q1Q4Q5Q6Q7
View →
[2]Third-party verified
Road to Sustainability: Can Hyundai Reach Net Zero by 2045?
Unknown
Q1Q7Q9
View →
[3]Third-party verified
For Our Climate: Automaker Decarbonisation Benchmarking Report
Unknown
Q1Q2Q3Q8Q9
View →
[4]Third-party verified
Greenpeace: Hyundai's Carbon Emissions Increased by 6% in 2023
2024
Q2Q3Q4
View →
[5]Third-party verified
InfluenceMap: Hyundai Motor Company — Automotive Climate Policy Position
Ongoing
Q3Q8
View →
[6]Self-reported
Hyundai Motor Accelerates Renewable Energy Transition — 444MW PPA
2024
Q4
View →
[7]Third-party verified
Eco-Business: Hyundai Accused of Greenwash After U-turn on RE100
2022
Q4Q10
View →
[8]Self-reported
Hyundai Motor Joins IUCN for Mangrove Reforestation in Vietnam
2024
Q5
View →
[9]Third-party verified
Energy Tracker Asia: K-pop Fans Call Out Hyundai Greenwashing
Unknown
Q5
View →
[10]Third-party verified
Cultural Survival: Indigenous Peoples and Hyundai Supply Chain Harm
Unknown
Q5Q10
View →
[11]Third-party verified
Nature: Electric Vehicles and Recycling
2022
Q6Q7
View →
[12]Third-party verified
Mighty Earth: Climate Campaigners Protest Hyundai at NY Auto Show
Unknown
Q2Q5Q6Q10
View →
[13]Third-party verified
For Our Climate Insights: SBTi Validation Tracking
Ongoing
Q8
View →
[14]Third-party verified
Autocar: SBTi Four Letters Have Got Every Car Company Rattled
Unknown
Q8
View →
[15]Third-party verified
LobbyMap: Hyundai Motor — Climate Change Policy Engagement
Ongoing
Q9
View →
[16]Public record
US Department of Justice: Hyundai and Kia Emissions Misreporting Settlement
Unknown
Q10
View →
[17]Third-party verified
InfluenceMap: The World's Most Obstructive Companies on Climate Policy
Unknown
Q10
View →

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

Hyundai Motor Company in context

Where Hyundai Motor Company sits among automotive peers.

Among the 24 major automotive brands we've scored, Hyundai Motor Company sits 22nd of 24.

22/24
Hyundai Motor Company's rank
30
Industry average
22
Industry low
45
Industry high
How this score has moved

Hyundai Motor Company's score over time.

today

Score history begins 8 February 2026.

As Hyundai Motor Company'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 Hyundai Motor Company

Hyundai Motor Company is a South Korean automotive manufacturer founded in 1976, headquartered in Seoul. With 117.61 billion KRW in FY2021 revenue, it is a major global carmaker producing internal combustion, hybrid, and battery electric vehicles across passenger cars and commercial segments.

Founded
1976
Headquarters
Seoul, South Korea
Employees
~120,000
Annual revenue
~$128B
Company website ↗
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