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METHODOLOGY
Our methodology evaluates sustainability performance against publicly available data. Our framework will evolve alongside the industry standards and improved disclosure practices.
OVERVIEW
Space organisations face sustainability challenges spanning both traditional terrestrial Environmental, Social, and Governance considerations alongside emerging space-specific factors. This methodology recognises that space companies should report what they can measure across both domains, encouraging comprehensive sustainability practices on Earth, and in space.
Environmental
Concerns
Social
Concerns
Governance
Concerns
Environmental assessment evaluates how space companies address impact across their entire operational footprint. This includes traditional terrestrial considerations, from supply chain transparency to manufacturing processes to launch emissions. It also contemplates emerging space-specific factors, such as pre-launch testing, orbital debris management and atmospheric re-entry planning.
Companies demonstrate environmental stewardship through policy development, impact quantification, and commitment to both decarbonisation strategies and space environment protections.
Social evaluation examines how space organisations contribute to societal wellbeing across terrestrial and space domains. Assessment considers workforce practices, leadership gender diversity, supply chain community engagement, along with broader implications of space activities on global populations including fair access to orbital slots.
Companies are evaluated on their commitment to labour standards, inclusive access to space-derived benefits, and consideration of how operations affect diverse stakeholders including international aviation safety and enduring inter-generational access to space.
Governance assessment addresses how space companies manage accountability in both traditional corporate structures and the unique challenge of space operations. This includes transparent decision-making processes, sustainability focussed committee structures, stakeholder engagement, and protocols for operating responsibly in domains lacking centralised oversight.
Companies demonstrate governance maturity through disclosure practices, international cooperation frameworks, and stewardship approaches that recognise space as a shared global resource requiring collective responsibility.
RANKING METRICS
These are the metrics, based on publicly-accessible information, used by the Space Leaderboard team to weight an organisation’s total sustainability ranking score.
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Company Class
Hardware manufacture, launch services, software operations, data analytics, or integrated businesses spanning multiple value chain segments
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Environmental Consideration
Published environmental policies addressing terrestrial manufacturing impacts, decarbonisation strategy, space debris mitigation, and end-of-mission disposal planning
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Leadership Gender Diversity
Balanced gender representation in senior roles correlated with stronger ESG practices, disclosure, and stakeholder engagement
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Sustainability Reporting
Formal sustainability reports & integrated annual reporting on stakeholder engagement, materiality assessments, transition planning, balanced scorecard approaches, and alignment to internationally recognised sustainability reporting standards
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Number of Staff
Higher headcount enables organisational capacity and creates mandatory reporting obligations under adopted sustainability reporting frameworks
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Social Consideration
Demonstrated commitment to workforce welfare, fair labour practices, community engagement, and equitable access benefits
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Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's)
Measurable contribution to global challenges through space-enabled solutions, demonstrating causal links and positive impacts as substantiative operational practice
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Key Nation of Operations
Dominant workforce location linked with its headquarters, determines regulatory context, labour standards, and ESG disclosure requirements
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Governance Consideration
Transparent decision-making frameworks covering traditional corporate governance plus space-specific operational protocols and demonstrable international cooperation
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Ownership Type
Public companies face elevated or mandatory ESG disclosure requirements, whilst private companies principally undertake voluntary reporting and disclosure
de Souza Barbosa, A., et al. "Integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria: their impacts on corporate sustainability performance." Humanit Soc Sci Commun 10, 410 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01919-0
Hunter, J., and Holdredge, P. (2023). "Responsible Business in Space Priorities for Longevity in the Space Industry."
Anderson, K., et al. (2024). "The dark side of Earth observation," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 7(3), pages 224-227, March.
Kumar, A., et al. (2024). Corporate governance characteristics and involvement in ESG activities: current trends and research directions. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society. 24. 175-209. 10.1108/CG-09-2023-0397.
Martiny, A., et al. (2024). "Determinants of Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) Performance: A Systematic Literature Review." Journal of Cleaner Production. 456. 142213. 10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.142213.
Mio, C., et al. "Performance measurement tools for sustainable business: A systematic literature review on the sustainability balanced scorecard use." Corporate social responsibility and environmental management 29.2 (2022): 367-384.
Parker, W.E. et al., (2025). "Greenhouse gases reduce the satellite carrying capacity of low Earth orbit." Nat Sustain 8, 363–372 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-025-01512-0
Red Kite Management Consulting, "UK Earth Observation - Downstream Capabilities." (2023). Web.
Red Kite Management Consulting, "UK Earth Observation - International EO Programmes." (2023). Web.
Sahu, M., et al., (2025). "Board Gender Diversity and Firm Performance: Unveiling the ESG Effect." Sustainable Futures. 9. 100493. 10.1016/j.sftr.2025.100493.
University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). (2024). "Future of Boards From Box-Ticking to Sustainable Value Creation: The Use of Relevant Impact Data and Wider Information in Strategic Decision-Making."
van Zanten, J. A. (2025). "Measuring Companies’ Environmental and Social Impacts: An analysis of ESG Ratings and SDG Scores."
Erzurumlu, Yaman Omer, et al., (2025) "The effects of geopolitical and political risks on corporate ESG practices." Journal of Environmental Management, Volume 386
KEY PUBLICATIONS
Sustainability of Space bases its Space Leaderboard ranking metrics in academic rigour and best practice. Published research informs metric selection and scoring mechanics, balancing comprehensive assessment with pragmatic, accessible information that companies can reasonably obtain, measure, and report against.
EVOLVING THE METHODOLOGY
This methodology represents a reasonable and pragmatic approach to assessing sustainability in the space sector. The Space Leaderboard is developed in response to limited ESG reporting practices within the global space community. Sustainability of Space has created this framework using publicly available information to evaluate organisations' sustainability credentials with emphasis on materiality assessments, harm reduction strategies, and transition planning.
We acknowledge that our methodology has inherent limitations due to the current scarcity of standardised space reporting frameworks and sustainability disclosures. The assessment framework is dominated by internationally recognised terrestrial reporting frameworks and applies value judgments against space related disclosures. Sustainability of Space places higher expectations on larger, more vertically integrated organisations with both greater resources for sustainability reporting and greater complexity in its operations.
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