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BlackRock

OVERALL

Owned
USA
Rating
Criticisms

Asset management

World's largest asset manager.

BlackRock Inc   USA     website         

> About the Ratings

Company Assessment

PRAISE CRITICISM INFORMATION
BlackRock Inc
Environment CDP Climate Change Score of A-
In 2019, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change risk. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Climate Change Score of A-.
Source: CDP (2019)
Business Ethics 69.3% at JUST Capital
JUST Capital polls Americans every year to identify the issues that matter most in defining just business behaviour. For their 2021 rankings the public identified 19 issues, which are organised under the headings Workers, Communities, Customers, Shareholders and Environment. JUST Capital then define metrics that map to those issues and track and analyse the largest, publicly traded U.S. companies. This analysis powers their rankings, in which this company ranked 56th of 928 companies, and 1st of 35 Capital Markets companies.
Source: JUST Capital (2020)
Social 100% on Corporate Equality Index
This company is listed as having best practice on a report card on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in corporate America.
Source: Human Rights Campaign (2020)
Environment World's largest investor in fossil fuels
As the world's biggest investor, BlackRock is also the world's biggest owner of fossil fuel companies. BlackRock owns more coal, oil and gas, and rainforest destruction than any other US company.
Source: BlackRock's Big Problem (2019)
Environment Funding deforestation in Brazil
Amazon Watch's 2020 report, Complicity in Destruction III, reveals how a network of leading international financial institutions is linked to conflicts on Indigenous lands, illegal deforestation, land grabbing, the weakening of environmental protections, and the production and export of conflict commodities. The report identified six major US-based financial institutions, including this one, that contributed more than US$18 billion to nine companies between 2017 and 2020.
Source: Amazon Watch (2020)
Environment 4% in Forest 500 Rankings
The Forest 500 identifies, ranks, and tracks the governments, companies and financial institutions worldwide that together could virtually eradicate tropical deforestation. Rankings are based on their public policies and commitments and potential impacts on tropical forests in the context of forest risk commodities (palm oil, soy, beef, leather, timber and paper). This financial institution received a score of 4%.
Source: Forest 500 (2019)
Social Financing cluster munitions producers
The 2017 update to the report entitled "Worldwide Investments in Cluster Munitions: a Shared Responsibility" identifies 166 banks and other financial institutions with financial links to cluster munitions producers. This bank is listed in the report's Hall of Shame for having investments in one or more of the 6 cluster munitions producers named in the report between 1 June 2013 to 17 March 2017.
Source: Cluster Munition Coalition (2017)
Social Financing nuclear weapons producers
The 2018 update of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons' (ICAN) global report, "Don't Bank on the Bomb" showed that 329 financial institutions from around the world invested into 20 companies involved in the production, maintenance and modernization of nuclear weapons. Since 2014 this financial institution invested over US$38 billion into 18 of the 20 nuclear weapons producers named in the report.
Source: ICAN (2018)
Business Ethics 10.0% in Newsweek Green Ranking 2017
This company received a score of 10/100 in the Newsweek Green Ranking 2017, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor.
Source: Newsweek (2017)
Business Ethics World's largest investor in deforestation
BlackRock's Big Deforestation Problem, a 2019 report released by Friends of the Earth US; Amazon Watch; and Profundo, a Dutch financial research firm, tracked financial data between 2014 and 2018 to show that BlackRock is among the top three shareholders in 25 of the world's largest publicly listed "deforestation-risk" companies - companies active in producing and trading soy, beef, palm oil, pulp and paper, rubber and timber - and among the top ten shareholders in 50 more of the world's largest deforestation-risk companies.
Source: Amazon Watch (2019)
Business Ethics Excessive CEO pay
As You Sow's 2019 report, 'The 100 Most Overpaid CEOs', reveals the 100 most overpaid CEOs from USA's 500 largest public companies (as determined by the S&P 500 list). This company's CEO, Laurence D. Fink came in at number 26 on the list, having been paid US$27,743,233 in 2018. According to the report, "Most CEOs have come to be grossly overpaid, and that overpayment is harmful to the companies, the shareholders, the customers, the other employees, the economy, and society as a whole."
Source: As You Sow (2019)
Business Ethics CEO Pay Ratio of 182:1
In 2019 the median pay for a worker at this company was US$133,644. The CEO was paid 182 times this amount. Exorbitant CEO pay is a major contributor to rising inequality. CEOs are getting more because of their power to set pay, not because they are increasing productivity or possess specific, high-demand skills. The economy would suffer no harm if CEOs were paid less (or taxed more). In contrast, the CEO-to-typical-worker compensation ratio was 20-to-1 in 1965 and 58-to-1 in 1989.
Source: AFL-CIO (2020)
Business Ethics Green Bond Principles member
Green Bonds enable capital-raising and investment for new and existing projects with environmental benefits. The Green Bond Principles are voluntary process guidelines that recommend transparency and disclosure and promote integrity in the development of the Green Bond market by clarifying the approach for issuance of a Green Bond.
Source: IMCA (2018)
Business Ethics 48/100 S&P Global ESG Score
This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 48/100 in the Diversified Financial Services and Capital Markets category of the 2019 SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices. The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
Source: S&P Global (2019)
Information Facing Finance profile
This company is listed on the Facing Finance website as a financial institution which invests in companies that manufacture weapons or profit from violations of human rights, pollution, corruption, or international law. Follow link for further details.
Source: Facing Finance (2014)

> About the Icons

Company Details

Type Public company
Subsidiaries Authentic Brands Group LLC (30% owned) 

Brand development and licensing

Purchases brands in the sports, celebrity and fashion categories and licenses the intellectual property to leading retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers worldwide. Acquired Juicy Couture in 2013, Tretorn in 2015 and Nautica and Nine West in 2018.


  - Volcom Inc 

Boardsport clothing and footwear

Founded by Richard Woolcott and Tucker Hall in 1991. Designer, marketer and distributor of action sports apparel and accessories for young men and women. Acquired by Authentic Brands Group in 2019.


  - Forever 21 Inc (38% owned) 

Youth fashion

Founded in California in 1984 by CEO Don Chang and his wife. About 60% of its apparel is manufactured in China. Operates about 500 retail stores around the world. Filed for bankruptcy in 2019 and acquired by Authentic Brands Group, Simon Property Group and Brookfield Property Partners in 2020. Forever 21 entered Australia in 2014, but left in 2017.

Contact Details

Address USA
Website www.blackrock.com

Products / Brands

Authentic Brands Group (30% owned)
Airwalk Skate Shoes
Juicy Couture Womens Fashion
Nautica Outdoor Wear
Tretorn Womens Shoes
Tretorn Mens Shoes
Vision Street Wear Snow/Skate/Surfwear
Volcom Snow/Skate/Surfwear

Forever 21 (38% owned)
Forever 21 Youth Fashion


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