In 2025, Principal Financial Group 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).
Principal Financial Group has also provided a category-level breakdown for 13 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 | 6,289.7a | 5,026.3a | 6,138.3a | |
Total Scope 2 | ||||
Market-Based | 9,161.4a | 11,340a | 14,926.1a | |
Location-Based | 14,366.2a | 16,611.5a | 21,285a | |
Total Scope 3 | 132,977.8a | N/A | N/A | |
Total Scope 1 Revenue Intensity (tCO2e/$M) | 0.4025a | 0.3117a | 0.4492a |
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In 2025, the total operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Principal Financial Group amounted to 20,655.9 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 Principal Financial Group decreased by 4.54%, 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 Principal Financial Group were 6,289.7 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e).a
Since 2019, Principal Financial Group's Scope 1 emissions have decreased by 4.08%, reflecting a declining long-term trend in Scope 1 emissions over time.ab
Compared to the previous year (2024), Principal Financial Group's Scope 1 emissions increased by 25.14%, suggesting that the company faced challenges in reducing emissions from its directly owned or controlled operations.a
In 2025, Principal Financial Group reported Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 9,161.4 tCO₂e using the market-based method and 14,366.2 tCO₂e using the location-based method.a
Since 2019, Principal Financial Group's Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Location-Based) have decreased by 64%, reflecting a declining long-term trend in Scope 2 emissions over time.ab
Compared to the previous year (2024), Principal Financial Group's Scope 2 emissions (Location-Based) fell by 13.52% in 2025, showing that the company has made progress in taking action to reduce the climate impact of its energy consumption.a
In 2025, Principal Financial Group reported its Scope 2 emissions using the market-based method and using the location-based method.a
In 2025, Principal Financial Group reported 132,977.8 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 Principal Financial Group includes a breakdown across 13 of the 15 Scope 3 categories defined by the GHG Protocol, up from 0 in 2024, reflecting improved emissions accounting practices and greater transparency across the company's value chaina
In 2025, Principal Financial Group reported total Scope 3 emissions of 132,977.8 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e).a
Approximately 99.63% of these emissions originated from upstream activities such as purchased goods and capital goods, while 0.37% came from downstream activities like product use, distribution, and end-of-life treatment.a
Since 2019, Principal Financial Group's Scope 3 emissions have increased by 695.23%, reflecting a rising long-term trend in Scope 3 emissions over time.ac
In 2025, Principal Financial Group reported emissions for 13 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 Principal Financial Group's Scope 3 emissions were:a
In 2025, Principal Financial Group reported Scope 1 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 6,289.7 tCO₂e and total revenues of USD 15,627 millions. This translates into an emissions intensity of 0.4 tCO₂e per millions USD.a
In 2025, Principal Financial Group reported a Scope 1 emissions intensity of 0.4 tCO₂e per millions USD. Compared to the peer group median of 0.12, this places the company above its industry benchmark, indicating it is less carbon-efficient than most competitors.a
In 2025, Principal Financial Group ranked 19 out of 23 companies in its industry peer group, based on Scope 1 emissions intensity (measured in tCO₂e per millions USD).a
This places Principal Financial Group among the least efficient performers, with one of the highest emissions intensities in its sector.a
In 2025, Principal Financial Group reported a total carbon footprint of 153,633.7 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) across Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions. This represents a 610.02% increase compared to 2024, suggesting a rise in emissions across its operations or value chain.a
The largest contributor to Principal Financial Group's total carbon footprint was Scope 3 emissions, accounting for 86.56% of the company's total carbon footprint, followed by Scope 2 emissions at 9.35%.a