TIME Ranking Shows Tyre Sector ESG Momentum

Pirelli, Nokian Tyres and Hankook Tire have been named in TIME’s World’s Most Sustainable Companies 2026 ranking, adding another external benchmark to the tyre sector’s environmental, social and governance record. The result points to a wider industry shift in which sustainability claims are increasingly tested through third-party ratings, disclosure standards and climate performance data. TIME and Statista ranked 750 companies worldwide in the 2026 list.

A broader test of credibility

TIME’s latest ranking places Pirelli 72nd with a score of 83.97, Nokian Tyres 100th with 81.84 and Hankook Tire 396th with 73.16. Pirelli was also reported as the highest-scoring company in the Automotive Industry & Suppliers category.

The ranking matters because it is not based on a single environmental claim. TIME says the list, produced with Statista, assesses major companies on transparency, accountability and environmental impact. Statista’s methodology says the 2026 edition evaluated more than 20 key performance indicators, including sustainable business practice, commitments and ratings, reporting standards, transparency, and environmental and social stewardship.

For tyre manufacturers, that broad approach is important. The sector faces scrutiny across raw materials, manufacturing energy, logistics, product use and end-of-life tyre treatment. A ranking of this type therefore reflects more than product-level messaging. It tests whether companies can show repeatable evidence across reporting, governance and operational performance.

Recognition across several benchmarks

The TIME result also sits alongside other recent ESG acknowledgements for tyre companies. Pirelli said in May 2026 that it had been reconfirmed in first place globally in the Auto Components and Automobiles sectors in the Dow Jones Best-in-Class World and Europe indices. The company reported an S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment score of 86 points, compared with sector averages of 34 and 37 points.

Pirelli said the assessment recognised areas including business ethics, human rights, occupational health and safety, environmental management, biodiversity and supply-chain ESG assessment. Giovanni Tronchetti Provera, Executive Vice President Sustainability, New Mobility and Motorsport at Pirelli, said the result reflected “industrial innovation and responsibility across the entire value chain.”

Nokian Tyres has also gained recent recognition in climate-focused rankings. The company was included in the Financial Times Europe’s Climate Leaders 2026 list, which it said analyses about 3,000 European companies and recognises 600 firms for emissions reduction over five years. Nokian initially reported a 29th-place ranking, but later noted that a Financial Times data update changed its position to 39th.

That correction does not remove the trade relevance. Nokian remained one of the highest-scoring tyre manufacturers in the ranking and said it had appeared in the FT list every year since the ranking began in 2021. Tyre News previously covered Nokian Tyres and Pirelli being named Europe Climate Leaders 2026, noting the relevance of external climate benchmarks to tyre dealers, fleets and original equipment buyers.

Why repeated validation matters

Repeated appearances across independent rankings strengthen the impression that sustainability is becoming part of corporate discipline in the tyre sector. It also raises the standard for manufacturers making green claims. Buyers are increasingly likely to ask whether a claim is supported by audited data, recognised targets or external assessments.

Nokian Tyres President and CEO Paolo Pompei said the TIME recognition acknowledged the company’s long-term sustainability work. He said renewable and recycled materials and lower rolling resistance can help cut tyre lifecycle emissions, while tested tyres remain central to grip and safety.

Hankook Tire’s inclusion adds a further Asian manufacturer to the picture. The company said in December 2025 that it had received CDP’s Climate Change “A” rating for the second consecutive year. Hankook said its climate work covered governance, greenhouse gas reduction targets, transparency and emissions management across the value chain, including materials, manufacturing, transport, use, disposal and reuse.

Tyre News has also covered wider sustainability benchmarking in the sector, including CDP recognition for Yokohama Rubber’s supply-chain climate work. That story highlighted the growing importance of supplier engagement, Scope 3 emissions and procurement standards across tyre manufacturing.

A signal for investors and buyers

For the tyre trade, the practical point is not that one ranking defines sector performance. It is that external assessments are becoming a shorthand for corporate reliability. Investors, fleet customers and original equipment manufacturers increasingly use these signals to compare suppliers and judge whether climate commitments are embedded in operations.

That creates both opportunity and pressure. Companies that can show consistent ratings, clearer emissions data and stronger supply-chain governance may gain credibility with procurement teams. Those relying on isolated claims may find their messaging carries less weight.

TIME’s 2026 list should therefore be read as one marker in a wider credibility story. Pirelli, Nokian Tyres and Hankook Tire are not being recognised for the same reasons or at the same level. But their combined presence shows that sustainability performance is now part of how major tyre manufacturers are measured by the market.

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Tagged with: TIME sustainability ranking, Pirelli, Nokian Tyres, Hankook Tire, tyre ESG, sustainable tyre manufacturing, climate disclosure, CDP rating, S&P Dow Jones Best-in-Class, Financial Times Climate Leaders, tyre supply chain, circular economy

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