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Netflix

OVERALL

Owned
USA
Rating
Criticism, some praise

Video streaming service

Founded in 1997 as the world's first online DVD-rental store, its streaming service was launched in 2007. Today the internet subscription service offers television shows and movies with more than 193 million paid subscribers in 190 countries in 2020.

Netflix Inc   USA     website   email   facebook   twitter

> About the Ratings

Company Assessment

PRAISE CRITICISM INFORMATION
Netflix Inc
Environment Green Power Partner
This company is listed on the EPA Green Power Partnership website (USA), as using renewable energy for 257% of its electricity use for its USA operations.
Source: EPA (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 (2021)
Business Ethics 64.3/100 in Newsweek rankings
America's Most Responsible Companies 2022 by Newsweek and Statista recognises the Top 500 most responsible companies in the United States. Companies were evaluated in three areas: environmental (waste, energy use, etc.), social (leadership diversity, employees and philanthropy) and governance (transparency and economic performance). This company received a total score of 64.3/100, ranking 14th in the Hotels, Dining & Leisure sector, and 464th overall.
Source: Newsweek (2021)
Business Ethics 14/100 S&P Global ESG Score
This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 14/100 in the Media category of the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices (last updated 23 Sep 2022). 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 (2022)
Environment D rating at ClickClean.org
Greenpeace's 2017 report 'Clicking Clean' looks at the energy footprints of large data centre operators and popular websites and applications, and calls on these companies to power their data centres on renewable energy. Companies are graded (A,B,C,D,F) on their commitment to and procurement of renewable energy, as well as energy efficiency, transparency and advocacy. This company's final grade was D.
Source: Greenpeace (2017)
Business Ethics Tax avoidance
This company scores Ethical Consumer's worst rating for the likely use of tax avoidance strategies, and has at least two high risk subsidiaries in tax havens.
Source: Ethical Consumer (2022)
Business Ethics Excessive CEO pay
As You Sow's 2022 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, Reed Hastings came in at number 32 on the list, having been paid US$43,226,024 in 2021. In As You Sow's previous reports this company's CEO came in at number 22 in 2020 and number 27 in 2021. 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: (2022)
Business Ethics Retirement plan investments
The Invest Your Values Corporate Retirement Plan Sustainability Scorecard by As You Sow rates retirement plans on seven environmental and social sustainability issues. This company's default corporate retirement plan offered to employees is the Vanguard Target Retirement Fund which is rated Fair for gender equality and civilian firearms, and Poor for fossil fuels, deforestation, prison industrial complex, military weapons and tobacco. This retirement plan has millions of dollars invested in fossil fuels, deforestation-risk agribusiness, and arms manufacturers.
Source: As You Sow (2022)
Business Ethics CEO Pay Ratio of 190:1
In 2019 the median pay for a worker at this company was US$202,931. The CEO was paid 190 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)
Environment Climate action commitments
As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: adopt a science-based emissions reduction target.
Source: We Mean Business (2021)
Business Ethics OpenSecrets.org profile
OpenSecrets.org tracks the influence of money on U.S. politics, and how that money affects policy and citizens' lives. Follow link to see this company's record of political donations, lobbying, outside spending and more.
Source: Open Secrets (2020)
Business Ethics 52.7/125 at JUST Capital
JUST Capital polls Americans every year to identify the issues that matter most in defining just business behaviour. For their 2023 rankings JUST Capital asked a representative sample of 3,002 Americans to compare 20 different business Issues on a head-to-head basis, producing a reliable hierarchy of Issues ranked in order of priority. Issues are organised under the headings Workers, Customers, Communities, the Environment, or Shareholders & Governance. 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 347th of 951 companies, and 5th of 15 Media companies.
Source: JUST Capital (2023)

> About the Icons

Company Details

Type Public company
Founded 1997
Revenue 20 billion USD (2019)
Employees 8,600 (2019)

Contact Details

Address Los Gatos, California, USA
Website www.netflix.com

Products / Brands

Netflix
Netflix Video Streaming


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