Agilent Technologies, Inc. (A) — ESG & Values Scores

Environment story

Agilent demonstrates moderate environmental performance with material gaps in disclosure and strategy clarity. Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions data are not provided in filings, triggering a baseline deduction. No explicit net-zero target year is disclosed, resulting in an additional penalty. The company faces operational risks from climate-related disruptions (California earthquake/wildfire exposure, Japan seismic risk) and acknowledges environmental remediation liabilities at legacy properties. Recent tariff and supply-chain pressures have increased operational complexity. Positive factors include acknowledgment of environmental compliance obligations and integration of climate risk into corporate risk management frameworks. However, the absence of quantified Scope 3 emissions reporting, verified renewable energy percentages, and near-term decarbonization infrastructure investments prevents a higher score. The company's focus remains on tariff mitigation and cost structure optimization rather than proactive decarbonization.

Criticisms on file

Environmental contamination liabilities at legacy properties (formerly owned/operated sites, indemnities to HP Inc., HPE, Siemens Healthineers). Company states no material liabilities are currently known but acknowledges contingent exposure.
Source: A_10k.txt, Risk Factors section: 'Environmental contamination from past and ongoing operations could subject us to substantial liabilities.'
Exposure to climate-related catastrophic loss at California facilities (earthquake/wildfire/drought/flooding) and Japan facilities (seismic risk); limited insurance coverage for earthquakes and terrorism.
Source: A_10k.txt, Risk Factors section: 'If we suffer a loss to our factories, facilities or distribution system due to catastrophe, our operations could be seriously harmed.'
No disclosed net-zero target year or Scope 1, 2, 3 emissions baselines in 10-K filing.
Source: A_10k.txt, absence of climate commitments or sustainability reporting in disclosed filings.

Disclosed initiatives

Environmental Compliance & Regulatory Monitoring

Company maintains compliance programs for EPA Toxic Substances Control Act and international environmental protection laws; actively monitors climate change legislation impacts.

Reduces regulatory breach risk but does not constitute direct decarbonization action.
Climate Risk Disclosure & Governance

Board-level monitoring of climate-related risks; compliance with evolving ESG regulatory requirements including EU and state climate disclosures.

Enhances transparency but lacks quantified emission-reduction metrics.
Supply Chain & Tariff Mitigation

Active supply chain optimization and targeted pricing actions to mitigate tariff and inflationary pressures; second-half 2025 tariff costs expected to be substantially mitigated in FY2026.

Operational resilience but not direct environmental decarbonization.

Social story

Agilent demonstrates mixed social performance with generally positive labor relations but limited diversity disclosure and moderate pay equity concerns. The company reports stable headcount (~18,100 as of October 31, 2025) and competitive regional pay levels but does not disclose CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio, limiting assessment of pay equity on the specified metric. No evidence of active union suppression or major strikes in the past 24 months; conversely, no evidence of formal labor neutrality agreements. Leadership diversity metrics are not explicitly disclosed in the 10-K; executive/board gender and underrepresented group representation percentages are absent, preventing precise scoring. Supply-chain ethics: the company operates globally with significant overseas sourcing and manufacturing (India, Malaysia, Japan, China) and acknowledges complex supply-chain risks including tariffs and sanctions exposure, but no formal human-rights audits or conflict-minerals disclosures are reported. Workforce initiatives focus on cost optimization (restructuring programs with 80–90 million annual savings targets) and talent retention in high-skill technical roles, reflecting market competitiveness rather than broad social welfare expansion. The company maintains compliance with labor and employment regulations across jurisdictions but does not highlight proactive DEI programs or supplier-diversity commitments in accessible 10-K disclosures.

Criticisms on file

No disclosed CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio in 10-K; executive compensation structure not detailed in provided extracts.
Source: A_10k.txt, absence of executive compensation disclosure in provided sections.
No disclosed leadership diversity (gender, race, underrepresented group) percentages for executive or board level in 10-K.
Source: A_10k.txt, absence of DEI metrics in provided 10-K extracts.
Significant restructuring activity (FY2025: ~81M expense, FY2024: ~72M expense, FY2023: ~46M expense) indicating repeated workforce reductions; potential morale and retention risks.
Source: A_10k.txt, MD&A section: 'Restructuring and Other Related Costs' and 'Our business will suffer if we are not able to retain and hire key personnel.'
Offshore accounting and tax processing centers in India and Malaysia; geopolitical/health/economic disruption risks acknowledged but no evidence of compliance audits or labor-rights vetting disclosed.
Source: A_10k.txt, Risk Factors: 'Most of our accounting and tax processes including general accounting, cost accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable and tax functions are centralized at locations in India and Malaysia.'

Disclosed initiatives

Competitive Pay & Talent Retention

Management states pay levels are competitive within regions of operation; active recruitment for high-technical specialties; emphasis on retention of key research, engineering, sales, marketing, manufacturing, executive and administrative personnel.

Supports talent attraction but does not address absolute pay equity or diversity advancement metrics.
Structured Workforce Restructuring Programs (FY2025, FY2024, FY2023)

Three announced restructuring plans since FY2023 targeting workforce reduction and facility consolidation; FY25 plan includes ~$75–80M in annual cost of sales and operating expenses savings; total restructuring spend: $204M since inception. Severance and personnel-related costs managed through structured programs.

Demonstrates operational cost discipline but raises turnover and morale concerns; no evidence of proactive reskilling or transition support beyond severance.
Global Compliance with Labor & Employment Laws

Company operates under differing labor regulations across multiple jurisdictions (U.S., Singapore, EU, China, Japan); compliance programs in place for employment, immigration, and workplace safety.

Reduces legal risk but does not constitute positive social welfare initiatives.

Governance story

Agilent demonstrates solid governance foundations with single-class share structure and compliance-oriented board oversight, but faces material deductions for insufficient board independence disclosure, moderate lobbying alignment concerns, and significant regulatory/litigation exposure. Board independence percentage is not explicitly stated in the 10-K; standard governance frameworks typically require >80% independence, but Agilent does not provide this metric, preventing confirmation of compliance. The company has a single-class voting structure (no dual-class supermajority founder control), which is governance-positive. No evidence of active climate deregulation lobbying is disclosed; however, the company does engage in tariff policy advocacy (noted in risk factors) and trade-policy discussions related to China, Vietnam, and global supply chains. The company has disclosed no systematic tracking of lobbying expenditures in the 10-K. Regulatory exposure is moderate: the company faces FDA oversight for diagnostics/medical devices, EPA compliance for chemical manufacturing, and general foreign corrupt practices/sanctions compliance obligations. No major antitrust proceedings are disclosed; however, compliance infrastructure is acknowledged as resource-intensive. Tax compliance history includes IRS audits (settled for 2018–2019 tax years with favorable outcomes) and ongoing tax examination risk. Internal controls are subject to Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and annual assessment; no material weaknesses have been disclosed in recent filings. The company maintains active compliance programs for FCPA, UK Bribery Act, sanctions (OFAC), and data privacy (GDPR, CCPA, Brazil LGPD); violations are treated as significant reputational and financial risks. Shareholder proposal activity and activist engagement frequency are not detailed in provided extracts. Overall, Agilent demonstrates competent governance baseline management with active compliance and risk oversight, but lacks transparency on board diversity, explicit independence confirmation, and sophisticated ESG-integration disclosure.

Criticisms on file

Board independence percentage not disclosed in 10-K; unable to confirm compliance with governance best-practice thresholds (typically >80% independence).
Source: A_10k.txt, absence of board composition/independence disclosure in provided sections.
Lobbying expenditure and PAC contribution amounts not disclosed in 10-K; trade policy advocacy activities (tariffs, China relations, Vietnam supply chains) noted in risk factors but lack transparency.
Source: A_10k.txt, MD&A and Risk Factors: tariff/trade policy discussions present but no quantified lobbying spend or PAC activity.
Regulatory exposure across multiple jurisdictions (FDA, EPA, OFAC, GDPR, CCPA, Brazil LGPD) with acknowledged compliance complexity; no major current enforcement actions disclosed but ongoing audit risk.
Source: A_10k.txt, Risk Factors: 'Our customers and we are subject to various governmental regulations' and 'We are subject to extensive regulation by the Food and Drug Administration...'
Data privacy and cybersecurity risk; company acknowledges compliance with complex, evolving privacy laws but 2020 SolarWinds supply-chain attack exposure demonstrates vulnerability despite remediation.
Source: A_10k.txt, Risk Factors: 'If we experience a significant disruption in, or breach in security, of our information technology systems' and 'In December 2020, it was widely reported that SolarWinds...was the subject of a cyberattack.'

Disclosed initiatives

Internal Controls & Compliance Infrastructure

Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance; annual internal control assessments; dedicated compliance programs for FCPA, UK Bribery Act, export controls, sanctions (OFAC), anti-corruption, and data privacy (GDPR, CCPA, Brazil LGPD).

Reduces fraud and regulatory violation risk; demonstrates board-level governance oversight.
Board Risk Oversight & ESG Governance

Board-level monitoring of sustainability, climate, and ESG regulatory developments; active assessment of evolving stakeholder expectations on corporate governance, environmental, and social practices.

Enhances governance awareness but lacks explicit metrics on board independence, diversity, or ESG integration depth.
Tax Compliance & Audit Management

Proactive tax examination response; settlement of IRS audits (2018–2019 tax years) with favorable outcomes; ongoing assessment of uncertain tax positions; quarterly effective tax rate monitoring.

Demonstrates tax compliance discipline; benefits from Singapore tax holiday (renegotiated through 2030), providing ~$102M FY2025 tax benefit.
Government Contracting Compliance

Compliance programs for procurement laws and government contracting regulations (federal, state, local, foreign); acknowledgment of contract formation, administration, and performance obligations.

Supports government customer relationships but does not constitute proactive governance innovation.

These are Missionomics' own editorial scores — directional signals built from disclosed facts under a published method, not certifications or definitive ratings of Agilent Technologies, Inc.. Coverage and confidence vary by data point, and figures can lag real-world changes. Read the full Methodology for sourcing, scoring, and correction details — or open Agilent Technologies, Inc. in the app for interactive charts and portfolio building.

More in Healthcare

Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (TMO)