Kia Corporation, founded 1944 in Seoul, is a major global automaker producing passenger vehicles, SUVs, and commercial vehicles.
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Kia discloses comprehensively but emissions trajectory is broken: Scope 1+2 improved 17%, but Scope 3 dominates at 99% of total and grows with record sales. Net-zero 2045 relies on offsets. A decade-old EPA emissions fraud settlement and obstructive trade association lobbying undercut credibility.
Kia scores 28/100 (Significant gaps) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Fees pay for the review, never the result. Last verified May 2026.
That places Kia joint 658th of 847 companies scored, and joint 13th of 24 in Automotive.
Where Kia sits among automotive peers.
Among the 24 major automotive brands we've scored, Kia is tied =13th of 24, with 2 others.
Its three lowest-scoring questions, and what the evidence didn't show.
But Scope 3—99% of total—is dominated by use-phase emissions that expand with record-breaking 2024 sales.
The full reasoning is in the ten questions below.
2023 biodiversity risk assessment using WWF's Biodiversity Risk Filter across global sites identified limited fauna risks.
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Get in touch →Strongest on Carbon Footprint — Operations and Transparency & Accountability (7/10, 7/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Energy Source (4/10, 4/10).
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Kia.
JLR reports operational emissions reductions and renewable energy progress at UK sites, but critical weaknesses undermine credibility: Scope 3 targets are intensity-based despite 22% sales growth, making absolute emissions reductions unlikely.
See the breakdown →Mercedes-Benz has reduced operational emissions 74% from 2018 but total absolute emissions rose 7.86% in 2024.
See the breakdown →Subaru reports comprehensive emissions data across Scope 1, 2, and 3, but total emissions rose 28% year-on-year while BEV penetration stalled at 1.9% globally against a 2030 target of 50%.
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.
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
Kia Corporation, founded 1944 in Seoul, is a major global automaker producing passenger vehicles, SUVs, and commercial vehicles. It operates manufacturing facilities across Asia, Europe, and North America, with significant EV expansion underway. Listed on DJSI World; revenue ~$80B annually.
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