How Much Water Does an AI Prompt Use? Why Estimates Differ
AI water-use figures depend on the model, task, location and accounting boundary. Learn how to compare estimates without a misleading universal number.
Research archive
Climate & environment
Investigations into emissions, pollution, energy and environmental claims.
34 articles
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Phone Energy Labels Explained: Battery, Drops and Repairability
Learn to read the EU smartphone label and EPREL record. Energy efficiency, battery endurance and repairability answer different buying questions.
Fairphone or a Refurbished Phone: Which Choice Makes Sense?
Compare a new Fairphone with a refurbished phone on repair, remaining support and useful life, without pretending one option always wins.
The Worst Companies for the Environment in 2026 (Scored)
Which companies are worst for the environment? Compare six selected companies, dated environmental scores and pollution evidence, with clear ranking limits.
Delta vs United vs American: The Most Ethical US Airline (2026)
We score Delta, United and American across eleven values. Delta leads on integrity, American trails on pay, and all three share the same environmental and data problems.
Is Chipotle Sustainable? Climate, Labour and Food-Safety Evidence
Chipotle's current sustainability and ethics record across climate, labour, animal welfare, waste and food safety.
Is Starbucks Ethical? Worker Rights, Sourcing and Climate
Starbucks' current record on worker rights, coffee sourcing, waste, climate and animal welfare, supported by direct sources.
CVS vs Walgreens: Pharmacy Differences and Ethics Compared
Compare CVS and Walgreens on ownership, pharmacy benefits and ethics. See dated scores, opioid settlement context and what ratings cannot tell patients.
Is Coca-Cola Ethical? What the Evidence Shows
Coca-Cola scores negative or zero on every value we measure. Here is what the public record says about plastic, water, sugar, and labour.
The Ethical Value Your Portfolio Is Most Likely Failing On
91% of companies score negative on Planet-Friendly Business. If you hold an index fund, your portfolio almost certainly reflects that.
Rivian vs Tesla: Which Is More Ethical? (Neither Is 'Green')
Both EV darlings market themselves as the green choice. Both score negative overall. Tesla's worst is fair pay. Rivian's worst is honesty.
Is Glencore Ethical? -27 Average — and ESG Funds Still Hold It
Glencore has bribery convictions, environmental violations, and one of the worst scores in our database. It still appears in ESG-labelled funds.
91% of Companies Fail on Climate. Here Are the 9% That Don't
Planet-Friendly Business is the worst-performing value in our database. Out of 6,035 companies with non-zero scores, 5,507 are negative. We looked at who passes.
McDonald's Ethics Score: Workers, Health and Environment
Is McDonald's ethical? Review its scores for workers, health, animals and the environment, with primary sources and clear limits on what the evidence shows.
What's Inside Popular ESG ETFs? (2026 Holdings Analysis)
See dated ESGU and ESGV holdings, company ethics scores, screening differences and a practical checklist for checking what your ESG ETF actually owns.
ESG Ratings vs Court Records: Why They Disagree (2026)
We compared ESG ratings from MSCI and Sustainalytics against court filings, regulatory penalties, and investigative journalism for six of the world's largest companies. The gap between ESG ratings and documented conduct is measurable, and it affects how portfolios are constructed.
What's Really Inside Your 'Sustainable' Fund? (2026)
We scored the top holdings of major ESG funds across 11 ethical dimensions using court filings, regulatory penalties, and investigative journalism. Every single one scored negative on multiple dimensions.
Toyota vs Volkswagen: A Current Ethics Evidence Comparison
Compare 5 companies using verified Mashinii score records, with missing dimensions shown separately and links to each company’s evidence.
Is Berkshire Hathaway Ethical? -90 on Climate, -70 on Fair Money
Warren Buffett's conglomerate has 255 environment-related offenses, coal plants linked to 260 premature deaths annually, and a subsidiary that settled for $24.4 million over racial discrimination in lending.
Green Hushing 2026: Companies Going Quiet on Sustainability
BlackRock's support for ESG shareholder proposals fell from 47% to 4%. Goldman Sachs financed $184.9 billion in fossil fuels while being operationally carbon neutral since 2015. Shell's total emissions in 2024 were 1.2 billion metric tonnes. We scored eight companies that went quiet on sustainability.
EU Greenwashing Rules in 2026: What Changed and Company Cases
Understand EU greenwashing rules in 2026, the separate Green Claims proposal, and what the H&M, Unilever, Ryanair and DWS cases actually established.
How to Spot Greenwashing in Funds and Investments
A practical checklist for testing green and ethical investment claims against holdings, exclusions, evidence and regulatory guidance.
What's Actually Inside ESG Funds? (Independent Analysis)
We checked the top holdings of popular ESG funds against independent data. The labels don't always match the evidence.
FCA Anti-Greenwashing Rule: What Advisors Need to Know
The FCA now requires sustainability claims to be fair, clear, and not misleading. Here's what that means for investment recommendations.
The Evidence Brief