Another sustainability ranking! Aren’t there enough already?

Sustainability rankings have existed for decades, each with their own focus and methodology. ChemScore, however, fills a critical gap — the lack of attention to chemicals. Chemical use and management are rarely reflected in the environmental criteria of ESG screenings and play only a minor role in Socially Responsible Investing (SRI). ChemScore changes that by shining a spotlight on the chemical risks that investors and companies can no longer afford to ignore.

We’re not a chemical manufacturer, why are we included in ChemScore?

ChemScore helps investors understand financial risks linked to chemicals management, so we mainly use the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) to identify companies in the chemical sector. However, we also include other companies with large chemical use and production on a case-by-case basis.

The ranked companies vary widely — some manufacture chemicals, others formulate, import or distribute them. But from a financial perspective, the risks from pollution and health impacts apply across the supply chain.

Note: in ChemScore, “production” can also include importation and use.

Why is the production of hazardous chemicals so important?

When we first developed ChemScore, one thing quickly became very clear: the core issue at hand is the hazardous nature of the products themselves.

If a chemical is safe, problems linked to its handling, transport, use and disposal largely disappear. Even in cases of accidents — fires, spills, leaks or even explosions — non-toxic substances wouldn’t threaten human health or the environment. For investors assessing financial risk, a company’s product portfolio and its potential liabilities are therefore key indicators of long-term sustainability and resilience.

Why doesn’t ChemScore consider risk assessments?

While controlling exposure can reduce harm, risk assessments are complex, costly and far from foolproof.

They depend on ideal handling and predictable use — conditions rarely guaranteed in the real world. Once products containing hazardous substances are in circulation, safe disposal and recycling are nearly impossible without contaminating new material streams.

For these reasons, ChemScore focuses on hazard, not theoretical exposure control — because preventing harm at the source is the most effective and reliable protection.

Read more about hazard vs. risk

Why doesn’t ChemScore include other sustainability practices?

Metrics like carbon disclosure, water use, waste and emissions are already covered by other sustainability ratings. ChemScore’s purpose is different: to focus solely on chemicals management — an area often overlooked but critical to achieving a truly sustainable business.

Why doesn’t ChemScore rank hazards by severity?

Hazardous substances found on the SIN List all have different harmful properties — some cause cancer, others affect fertility or brain function. It’s impossible to say which harm is “worse.”

What matters is that all SIN List chemicals have been identified by ChemSec as being substances of very high concern (SVHCs) based on criteria defined within the EU’s REACH regulation. They should be phased out to protect human health and the environment, regardless of the type of hazard.

But we need hazardous chemicals to produce sustainable products!

First off, that’s not a question. Second, while hazardous substances are sometimes necessary for specific technical functions, safer alternatives already exist for most current uses.

Highly hazardous substances should only ever be used as a last resort — under strict control and within the EU’s REACH authorisation framework. And even then, it is crucial that such substances are never used in products leaving the factory, which is the only place where they are under complete control of the company.

Innovation in safer chemistry is proving that sustainability and performance can go hand in hand.

Isn’t it biased to award points for using ChemSec’s Marketplace?

Nope! Marketplace exists to solve a transparency problem: there’s no central overview of safer alternatives on the market. Many are marketed directly to existing customers, making it difficult for downstream users to find them.

That’s why we created Marketplace — a free, independent platform showcasing products free from substances of very high concern (SVHCs).

But if Marketplace isn’t your jam, we also award points for safer alternatives vetted by credible third parties, such as Cradle to Cradle (Gold or Platinum). We welcome more platforms to adopt similarly strict standards so their alternatives can be recognized too.

Why are some hazardous chemicals counted twice?

All the chemicals assessed in ChemScore are highly hazardous, but some pose even greater short- and long-term risks. Persistent substances can lead to significant future liabilities, while others face pending or imminent regulation under REACH. Some are already restricted or banned under global treaties yet still produced under exemptions (POPs).

To reflect this higher level of financial and regulatory risk, these substances are weighted more heavily — counted twice — in ChemScore’s hazard calculations.

Read more about what chemicals we track

Why list chemicals used only as intermediates or monomers in production?

Under EU REACH regulation, intermediates are defined very narrowly and benefit from several exemptions. In ChemScore, we only include “full” registrations from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) database.

If a company uses a substance exclusively as an intermediate or a monomer in polymerisation under strictly controlled conditions, and wishes that to be reflected, they can provide a clear public statement on their website confirming this. We’ll take such documentation into account.

What about substances with conditional classifications?

Some companies use chemicals that have conditional classifications, such as being a CMR only under certain conditions. Unfortunately, this information isn’t verifiable through the ECHA database.

If a company uses only the non-classified form of such a substance, they can provide a public statement confirming this on their website, and we’ll take such documentation into account.