Better Health for All
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American Express demonstrates a commitment to mental health through its comprehensive Healthy Minds program, which provides free counseling, telehealth, grief and loss support, group sessions, and mental health training for employees and their families.
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This program has led to increased service utilization
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and earned the company an 'Excellence in Mental Health' award in 2023.
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The company also promotes employee well-being through its Healthy Living program, including fitness challenges, wellness coaching, and on-site health services,
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and received 'Excellence in Health Equity' and 'Excellence in Global Health & Well-being' awards in 2023.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, American Express donated $250,000 and matched employee contributions for equitable access to testing, treatment, and vaccines,
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and provided $1 million in meals to frontline healthcare workers.
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Philanthropic efforts include a $250,000 donation to The Trevor Project for LGBTQ+ youth crisis services
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and $1 million to humanitarian efforts.
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The company's core financial services business has no direct positive or negative health impact, and its products do not carry health risks, addiction potential, or require specific accessibility considerations. American Express does not engage in pharmaceutical, food, or clinical research activities, nor do its operations generate significant health externalities.
Fair Money & Economic Opportunity
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No specific, quantifiable evidence was found in the provided articles that directly maps to the quantitative thresholds of the KPIs for Fair Money & Economic Opportunity. The articles mention philanthropic support, future investment goals, and action plans, but do not provide data points such as percentages of underserved clients, average APRs, revenue from high-cost products, share of loan book for inclusion initiatives, customer data accessibility, regulatory findings, wealth building outcomes, profit reinvestment as a percentage of profit, reach of financial literacy programs as a percentage of customers, debt-to-income ratios, geographic inclusion coverage, or product simplicity metrics. The articles mention philanthropic support, future investment goals, and action plans, but do not provide data points such as percentages of underserved clients, average APRs, revenue from high-cost products, share of loan book for inclusion initiatives, customer data accessibility, regulatory findings, wealth building outcomes, profit reinvestment as a percentage of profit, reach of financial literacy programs as a percentage of customers, debt-to-income ratios, geographic inclusion coverage, or product simplicity metrics. American Express spent over $374 million with diverse suppliers
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and provided over $16 million in philanthropic support to nonprofits led by underrepresented groups
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. American Express aims to drive $100 billion in consumer spending at small businesses
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and invest $500 million to build equitable communities by 2025
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. American Express announced a $1 billion action plan to advance racial, ethnic, and gender equity
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. They plan to double spending with diverse suppliers to $750 million by 2024
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and provide capital and financial education to 250,000 Black-owned businesses
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.
Fair Pay & Worker Respect
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In 2023, the median pay for racially/ethnically diverse colleagues in the US was 85.7% of that for white colleagues.
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Globally, American Express reported maintaining 100% pay equity across genders for the fifth consecutive year in 2024, meaning no statistical differences in pay for the same or similar jobs.
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In 2023, 91% of colleagues who participated in the annual Colleague Experience Survey would recommend American Express as a great place to work.
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Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing
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American Express, as a financial services company, does not procure or trade physical commodities, thus having no exposure to fair-trade certifications or high-risk materials. The company requires all third parties to conduct business in accordance with applicable laws, including guarding against modern slavery and human trafficking, as outlined in their Supplier Code of Conduct.
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In 2021, American Express achieved $550 million in spend with underrepresented-owned suppliers.
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The company has a goal to double its annual spend with underrepresented-owned suppliers in the U.S. from a 2019 baseline to $750 million by 2024, which includes increasing spend with Black-owned suppliers to at least $100 million annually.
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Honest & Fair Business
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American Express was required to pay approximately $230 million in regulatory penalties to resolve governmental investigations related to historical sales practices for certain U.S. small business customers.
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These issues, which occurred between 2014 and 2021, included misrepresenting card rewards and fees, misleading customers about tax benefits of wire transfer products, checking credit reports without consent, and sales staff entering "dummy" employer identification numbers.
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The settlement agreement was reached in 2025.
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The company maintains a comprehensive Code of Conduct that sets forth business ethics principles and legal requirements for all employees, supported by ethics training.
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American Express is subject to anti-corruption laws such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the UK Bribery Act.
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Furthermore, American Express has a comprehensive Whistleblower Claims Policy (AEMP17), effective September 13, 2024, which applies to all colleagues and shareholders across all business lines.
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This policy includes a 24/7/365 independent third-party ethics hotline for confidential or anonymous reporting, explicitly protects individuals from retaliation, and has been updated to comply with the EU Whistleblowing Directive.
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The Internal Audit Group is responsible for tracking all whistleblower claims, and the policy is implemented through the company's Code of Conduct training.
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Kind to Animals
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As a financial services company, American Express's core business does not involve animal testing, animal agriculture, or the use of animal-derived ingredients, rendering many animal welfare KPIs not applicable. However, American Express has faced criticism for its partnership with SeaWorld, which has been accused of animal exploitation
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, with advocacy groups calling for the company to end this partnership
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. This indicates a lack of a strong public position on animal welfare standards. On the positive side, American Express offered an additional 1% cashback on purchases at selected pet merchants in Singapore from May 18 to November 18, 2021
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, and has promoted pet-friendly workplace policies
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. The company also collaborates with the Arizona Animal Welfare League, a no-kill shelter
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, through corporate giving and donation matching
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. Additionally, American Express has committed over $5 million to climate resilience projects
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, including partnerships with Ocean Conservancy
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, aimed at environmental conservation and indirectly benefiting marine life by reducing ocean pollution
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.
No War, No Weapons
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American Express primarily operates in the financial services sector, inherently distancing itself from direct involvement in arms manufacturing or military contracts. The company historically protested a military contract reassignment in 1987.
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It complies with economic sanctions measures imposed by the U.S. government, the United Nations, and the European Union, which include programs related to terrorism and arms embargoes.
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Consistent with its financial services business model, American Express has no exposure to weapons, no defense assets to divest, no mineral inputs, and no procurement from conflict-affected areas.
Planet-Friendly Business
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Total Scope 1, 2 (market-based), and 3 emissions were 1,925,167 tCO2e in 2024.
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The company's net-zero target was validated by SBTi in August 2024, including near-term targets to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 60% and Scope 3 emissions by 35% by 2033 from a 2019 baseline.
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In 2024, 99.9% of total global electricity was sourced from renewables, including Energy Attribute Certificates, green tariffs, and on-site solar electricity production.
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As of 2024, 60.9% of the global real estate portfolio held green building certifications, and the waste diversion rate was 77%.
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As of December 2024, over 90% of plastic cards issued were made of at least 70% recycled or reclaimed plastics.
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In 2024, partners representing approximately 81% of emissions related to goods and services for Membership Rewards and cobrand cards had science-based targets.
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In 2024, 99.7% of direct marketing, customer communications, and office paper was sourced from certified responsibly managed forests.
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The company reports annually in line with TCFD recommendations, became a formal TCFD Supporter in 2021, and integrates climate-related risks into its Enterprise Risk Management framework.
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It conducted qualitative physical risk assessments in 2020 and 2021, a quantitative physical risk assessment for the UK in 2023, and qualitative transition risk assessments in 2021 evaluating IEA scenarios compatible with 1.5°C, 2-3°C, and 6°C pathways for 2025-2040 horizons.
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Respect for Cultures & Communities
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American Express partnered with the Global Heritage Fund for the China Heritage Program
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, which focuses on community-based conservation
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and aims to preserve heritage
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Safe & Smart Tech
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American Express demonstrates exceptional security training effectiveness, with 99.9% of colleagues completing privacy training in 2023.
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The company also maintains a very strong regulatory compliance program, evidenced by comprehensive policies for global privacy laws, specific compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act, and investments in cybersecurity to meet high standards.
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Customers are provided with good control over their data, enabling them to manage communication preferences, message types, data sharing with partners, and update personal information.
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For AI ethics, the company shows industry-standard considerations, providing guidance on acceptable AI usage in recruitment, emphasizing trust and compliance in Gen AI investments, and excluding customer data from Gen AI pilots.
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However, American Express experienced a minor data breach in March 2024 through a third-party processor, impacting over 50,000 customers with exposed card account numbers, expiration dates, and names.
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The company promptly notified affected customers and regulators and advised on security measures.
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Zero Waste & Sustainable Products
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As of December 2024, over 90% of plastic cards issued globally by American Express are made of at least 70% recycled or reclaimed plastics.
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The company achieved a 77% waste diversion rate in 2024.
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American Express has implemented several waste reduction initiatives, including a Card Take Back Program that has recycled over 4 million cards since 2019, and the introduction of cards made from recycled ocean plastics.
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The company has also eliminated single-use plastics in its global headquarters, managed-office facilities, operating centers, U.S. cafeterias, and Centurion® Lounges.
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American Express has set company-wide waste reduction targets, including a pledge to eliminate single-use plastics by 2025
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and a goal, achieved by the end of 2024, for the majority of plastic cards to contain at least 70% recycled content.
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An office in Gurgaon, India, achieved TRUE Zero Waste Certification with a 93% waste diversion.
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