In 2025, Merck KGaA completed a corporate carbon footprint assessment and publicly disclosed its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions according to the GHG Protocol, covering Scope 1 (direct emissions from owned or controlled sources), Scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased energy) and Scope 3 (indirect emissions across the value chain).
Merck KGaA has also provided a category-level breakdown for 12 out of 15 Scope 3 emissions categories, offering greater transparency into its value chain emissions.
| Metric (tCO2e) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Scope 1 | 657,835a | 858,053a | 1,236,000b | |
Total Scope 2 | ||||
Market-Based | 197,072a | 227,070a | 227,000b | |
Location-Based | 377,873a | 385,483a | N/A | |
Total Scope 3 | 3,895,507a | 4,482,938a | 4,594,000b | |
Total Scope 1 Revenue Intensity (tCO2e/$M) | 26.5162a | 38.9754a | 53.1945b |
You are welcome to quote or reference individual data points from this page, provided you include the following attribution with a visible, clickable link to this page: "Source: Tracenable, the global reference for ESG data"
Bulk collection, scraping, resale, or redistribution of data across multiple company profiles is not permitted without our prior written permission. For more information, see our General Terms and Conditions.
Every figure on this dashboard has a transparent audit trail. With Tracenable, each data point is traceable back to its original source, viewable directly inside our platform.
In 2025, the total operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Merck KGaA amounted to 1,035,708 metric tons of CO2 equivalent. This figure includes both direct emissions from owned or controlled sources (Scope 1) and indirect emissions from purchased energy (Scope 2).a
Compared to 2024, the total operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Merck KGaA decreased by 16.71%, showing that the company has made progress in taking action to reduce the climate impact of its operations.a
In 2025, the total Scope 1 emissions of Merck KGaA were 657,835 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e).a
Since 2019, Merck KGaA's Scope 1 emissions have increased by 92.91%, reflecting a rising long-term trend in Scope 1 emissions over time.ac
Compared to the previous year (2024), Merck KGaA's Scope 1 emissions decreased by 23.33%, highlighting the company's efforts to lower direct emissions from assets it owns or controls.a
In 2025, Merck KGaA reported Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 197,072 tCO₂e using the market-based method and 377,873 tCO₂e using the location-based method.a
Since 2019, Merck KGaA's Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Location-Based) have increased by 12.69%, reflecting a rising long-term trend in Scope 2 emissions over time.ad
Compared to the previous year (2024), Merck KGaA's Scope 2 emissions (Location-Based) have remained relatively stable, indicating that Merck KGaA's emissions have plateaued with no significant change in its energy consumption footprint.a
In 2025, Merck KGaA reported its Scope 2 emissions using the market-based method and using the location-based method.a
In 2025, Merck KGaA reported 3,895,507 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) of Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, representing indirect emissions across its upstream and downstream value chain.a
The 2025 disclosure of Merck KGaA includes a breakdown across 12 of the 15 Scope 3 categories defined by the GHG Protocol, matching the level of disclosure in 2024, demonstrating consistent Scope 3 emissions reporting coverage year over year.a
In 2025, Merck KGaA reported total Scope 3 emissions of 3,895,507 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e).a
Approximately 74.83% of these emissions originated from upstream activities such as purchased goods and capital goods, while 25.17% came from downstream activities like product use, distribution, and end-of-life treatment.a
Since 2019, Merck KGaA's Scope 3 emissions have increased by 1,049.12%, reflecting a rising long-term trend in Scope 3 emissions over time.ac
Compared to the previous year (2024), Merck KGaA's Scope 3 emissions decreased by 13.1%, highlighting the company's efforts to lower indirect emissions from its value chain.a
In 2025, Merck KGaA reported emissions for 12 out of the 15 Scope 3 categories defined by the GHG Protocol.a
This reflects a high level of granularity and transparency in the company's emissions reporting.
In 2025, the largest contributors to Merck KGaA's Scope 3 emissions were:a
In 2025, Merck KGaA reported Scope 1 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 657,835 tCO₂e and total revenues of USD 24,809 millions. This translates into an emissions intensity of 26.52 tCO₂e per millions USD.a
In 2025, Merck KGaA reported a Scope 1 emissions intensity of 26.52 tCO₂e per millions USD. Compared to the peer group median of 8.77, this places the company above its industry benchmark, indicating it is less carbon-efficient than most competitors.a
In 2025, Merck KGaA ranked 19 out of 22 companies in its industry peer group, based on Scope 1 emissions intensity (measured in tCO₂e per millions USD).a
This places Merck KGaA among the least efficient performers, with one of the highest emissions intensities in its sector.a
In 2025, Merck KGaA reported a total carbon footprint of 4,931,215 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) across Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions. This represents a 13.89% decrease compared to 2024, indicating progress in reducing its overall greenhouse gas output.a
The largest contributor to Merck KGaA's total carbon footprint was Scope 3 emissions, accounting for 79% of the company's total carbon footprint, followed by Scope 1 emissions at 13.34%.a