Aberdeen is a UK-based asset manager headquartered in Edinburgh, managing approximately £511 billion in assets under management across equity, fixed income, and alternative investments.
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Aberdeen is a £511bn asset manager with operational emissions down 74–80% since 2018, but this masks a fundamental problem: financed emissions of ~111.7 billion kg CO₂e dwarf operational progress. The company holds $7.1bn in fossil fuel bonds, lacks any coal exclusion policy despite PPCA membership, and uses intensity targets instead of absolute reductions for its portfolio—a material gap between stated climate commitments and investment reality.
Aberdeen scores 34/100 (Below expectations) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Fees pay for the review, never the result. Last verified August 2026.
That places Aberdeen joint 505th of 847 companies scored, and joint 25th of 51 in Financial Services / Banking.
Where Aberdeen sits among financial services / banking peers.
Among the 51 major financial services / banking brands we've scored, Aberdeen is tied =25th of 51, with 5 others.
Its three lowest-scoring questions, and what the evidence didn't show.
No full PCAF-basis financed emissions disclosure across £511B AUM.
No publicly available quantified waste data, circular economy targets, or supplier sustainability requirements found in 2022–2025 sources.
Portfolio target is 50% carbon intensity reduction by 2030 (intensity, not absolute).
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Evidence that isn't public can count through an evidence review.
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Get in touch →Strongest on Carbon Footprint — Operations and Transparency & Accountability (7/10, 7/10). Weakest on Carbon Footprint — Supply Chain and Resource Use & Waste (3/10, 3/10).
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Aberdeen.
Revolut measures emissions but publishes no absolute figures, sets no targets, and discloses no trajectory despite rapid growth doubling headcount and revenue.
See the breakdown →3i operates rigorous operational emissions reporting with third-party assurance, but exposes a critical gap: no absolute financed emissions disclosure for a £38.7bn PE portfolio.
See the breakdown →M&G manages £375.9B in assets while holding £1.5B in coal exposure and material fossil-fuel investments.
See the breakdown →The formula and all 12 sources.
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale12 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
Founded shows 2017, the year the current legal entity was formed by the merger of Standard Life plc and Aberdeen Asset Management. It is not the age of the business: both predecessors are far older, and the Standard Life name was later separated from the group and is listed here as its own company. The date describes the entity being scored, not its heritage.
“Total Scope 1 and 2 (location based) 1,726 2,161 9,736”
“Abrdn's investments in the 20 highest polluting companies in its portfolio resulted in the equivalent of 4.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) entering the atmosphere in 2022”
“we still have more to do to collect data for some material Scope 3 categories, such as emissions related to our supply chain”
“We have committed to reducing emissions from energy use by 50% by 2025, procure 100% renewable electricity for our buildings”
“Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030. Target is against 2018 baseline for all operating activities”
“Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) Forum members — The TNFD Forum is a global multi-disciplinary consultative group of institutions with over 650 members”
“We want to help shape a sustainable future by supporting inclusive growth and a just transition to a low-carbon economy”
“An overview of Aberdeen's 2025 sustainability progress, with insights from Group Head of Sustainability Kristina Church”
“Asset managers that remain signatories to NZAM include Aberdeen Investments, Amundi, Impax AM, Sarasin, and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management”
“abrdn has no policy to stop new, or phase out existing, investments in coal”
“C-Performance Band · 59% Organization Score”
“Abrdn ranked alongside BlackRock, Invesco and Vanguard as financiers of the worst fossil fuel bonds in 2023, with investments in BP, Conoco Philips and Eni totalling $7.1bn”
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
Aberdeen is a UK-based asset manager headquartered in Edinburgh, managing approximately £511 billion in assets under management across equity, fixed income, and alternative investments. Founded in 2017 through a merger, it serves institutional and retail clients globally with a workforce of around 4,000 employees across 25+ offices.
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