Berkshire Hathaway
OVERALL |
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Owned |
USA |
Rating |
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Conglomerate
The world's 3rd richest man, Warren Buffett, owns about a quarter of the company. Berkshire Hathaway owns stakes of $1 billion or more in many companies including American Express, The Coca-Cola Company, Procter & Gamble, Sanofi, Wells Fargo, and IBM. Acquired half of Heinz in 2013.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc | USA | website |
Company Assessment
PRAISE | CRITICISM | INFORMATION | ||
Berkshire Hathaway Inc | ||||
The Insure Our Future campaign by a group of NGOs has ranked the world's leading insurance companies on fossil fuel insurance, fossil fuel divestment, and other climate leadership. This company was among the worst performers.
Source: Insure Our Future (2020)
Forest 500 identifies the 350 companies and 150 financial institutions with the greatest exposure to tropical deforestation risk, and annually assesses them on the strength and implementation of their deforestation and human rights commitments. This financial institution received a score of 0%.
Source: Forest 500 (2021)
As You Sow's 2022 report, 'Road to Zero Emissions', assessed the progress of 55 of the largest U.S. corporations in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with the Paris Agreement's objective of limiting global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, which requires achieving "net zero" emissions by 2050. Companies are graded on: climate related disclosures; GHG reduction targets, and GHG reductions. This company received an Overall Net Zero grade of F.
Source: As You Sow (2022)
As You Sow's 2019 report, Mining the Disclosures, is a deep analysis of 215 companies' human rights performance in relation to sourcing conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This company's score was 23.9% (Weak).
Source: As You Sow (2019)
InfluenceMap's 2021 Climate Policy Footprint report identifies the world's most obstructive corporate and industry association holding back Paris Agreement-aligned climate policy. This company is named in the report as one of the 25 most negatively influential corporations. "Very significant economic clout. Supporting long-term role for coal in the energy mix, senior executives appear to have questioned consensus around climate change science."
Source: Influence Map (2021)
This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 12/100 in the Diversified Financial Services and Capital Markets 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)
The 2020 Sustainable Cotton Ranking, published by WWF, Solidaridad and the Pesticide Action Network UK analysed the 77 largest cotton users among international apparel brands and retailers, reviewing their policies, actual uptake of more sustainable cotton and transparency in their supply chains. According to the report, this company is "not yet started" with a score of 0.3%. The average score was 18.2% and the highest score was 79.2%.
Source: Sustainable Cotton Ranking (2020)
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 690th of 951 companies, and 13th of 15 Consumer & Diversified Finance companies.
Source: JUST Capital (2023) |
This company's 90% owned subsidiary, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, is involved in the production of coal or coal-based energy.
Source: company website (2022)
This 2009 report by the International Labor Rights Forum outlines several areas in which Berkshire Hathaway faces significant environmental, labor rights and human rights issues. [Listed under information due to age of report]
Source: ILRF (2009)
As documented by the Project of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), this company is involved in the USA prison industry. Its subsidiary Shaw Industries uses prison labor. Other subsidiaries provide equipment, utilities, and uniforms to prisons and jails.
Source: AFSC (2021)
This company has the low score of 20% on a report card on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in corporate America.
Source: Human Rights Campaign (2021)
This company received a score of 0/100 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)
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) |
Company Details
Type | Public company |
Founded | 1839 |
Revenue | 286 billion USD (2020) |
Employees | 391,500 (2020) |
Subsidiaries | Kraft Heinz Company (27% owned) ![]() Food and beverages Formed in 2015 when Heinz and Kraft merged, creating the 3rd largest food and beverage company in North America and the 5th largest food and beverage company in the world, with eight $1 billion+ brands. - HJ Heinz Company Australia Ltd ![]() Food manufacturing Heinz began production in Australia in 1935. Bought Golden Circle in 2008 and Cerebos in 2018. In 2015 Heinz merged with Kraft, becoming Kraft Heinz. Fruit of the Loom Ltd ![]() Clothing Production occurs in Latin America, and at a new manufacturing plant in Morocco which serves the European market. Distributed in Australia by Range Works Pty Ltd. - Russell Brands LLC ![]() Clothing Part of Bershire Hathaway's Fruit of the Loom division. Brands include Russell, Brooks, Spalding & Sherrin. Duracell Inc ![]() Battery manufacturer Formerly owned by Procter & Gamble. Acquired by Berkshire Hathaway in late 2014. |
Contact Details
Address | Omaha, Nebraska, USA |
Website | www.berkshirehathaway.com |
Products / Brands
Kraft Heinz (27% owned)
ABC Soy/Asian Sauce ABC Asian |
Kraft Heinz Australia
Fruit of the Loom
Fruit of the Loom Everyday Apparel Vanity Fair Intimate Apparel |
Duracell
Duracell Batteries |