Better Health for All

Pearson demonstrates a strong commitment to Better Health for All through several initiatives. The company has exceptional mental health programs, including training 80 Mental Health First Aiders in the UK since 2015

, which led to a 369% increase in employees feeling comfortable discussing mental health and a 94% increase in manager confidence . It offers mental health assessments for children and adolescents , operates a Global WELL digital therapy platform , and hosted an ADHD Virtual Summit in October 2024 that updated almost 4,000 attendees . Pearson provides comprehensive support for the healthcare workforce, with its Dynamo Healthcare Training and Consultancy Ltd (DHCT) achieving 100% timely success rates for healthcare training programs in the South West of England . The company integrates generative AI study tools into its nursing series to address nurse shortages in the U.S. and partners with Health Education England for NHS recruitment exams . In healthcare education, Pearson offers comprehensive programs such as the three-year Healthcare Training Academy by DHCT , provides mental health education resources for educators , and upskilled over 5,000 registrants at the ED.tech Symposium in October 2024 on AI in education . It also develops apprenticeships for Community Health Workers . For healthcare data responsibility, Pearson maintains excellent data practices with comprehensive privacy protections , aligning with NIST frameworks , deploying the Cyturus platform , and implementing mandatory training for all employees . Pearson's products do not have direct safety implications, addiction potential, or involve pharmaceutical patents or food products, resulting in a neutral or not applicable score for related KPIs. No evidence of harmful revenue or significant negative health externalities from operations was found.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

Pearson's CEO to median employee pay ratio was 210:1 in 2024.

The company reported a median hourly pay gap where women earned 88% of men's pay in 2023. Employee engagement scored a Grand Mean of 4.09 out of 5 in 2023, placing the company in the 70th percentile of Gallup’s database. Voluntary employee turnover was 16% in 2023.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

Pearson sourced 92% of its paper from certified sources (FSC, PEFC, and SFI) in 2024.

No specific forced or child labor incidents were reported in 2024. Major suppliers were subject to due diligence every three years in 2019.

Honest & Fair Business

Pearson PLC incurred approximately $134.76 million in ethics-related regulatory fines in the past three years.

This includes a $1 million civil penalty from the U.S. SEC in August 2021 for misleading investors about a 2018 data breach. Additionally, the company paid £105 million in 2021 related to an EU state aid matter and received £2.005 million in fines from Ofqual for issues between 2019 and 2023 concerning English language tests and A-level qualifications. Pearson maintains a "Raising Concerns and Anti-Retaliation Policy" with a third-party operated ethics hotline, PearsonEthics.com. The Associate General Counsel for Ethics & Compliance reports on new and ongoing investigations to the Audit Committee at every meeting. The company also has a comprehensive Anti-Bribery and Corruption policy, revised in April 2023, which applies to all entities and business partners. This policy enforces a zero-tolerance stance on bribery and corruption, prohibits facilitation payments, requires accurate record-keeping, internal controls, periodic risk assessments, and audits. Employees receive annual or biannual anti-bribery and corruption training and complete an annual Code of Conduct certification.

Kind to Animals

Pearson PLC is a global learning company providing educational content and services. While the company demonstrates commitments to sustainable paper sourcing

and environmental management, these efforts are not quantified in terms of direct, measurable biodiversity outcomes (e.g., species recovery, habitat restoration metrics) as required by the rubric's KPIs. Consequently, there is no evidence to score any of the 'Kind to Animals' KPIs.

No War, No Weapons

Pearson PLC, a global learning company, has no known involvement in arms manufacturing, military contracts, or war facilitation, indicating no defense or arms-related activities in its core business. This also means it has no exposure to any weapons, no defense business to oversee, no dual-use portfolio, and no military AI use. Consequently, it is not subject to the Arms Trade Treaty, requires no weapons-related ethical red lines, has no conflict-linked partners, and no defense assets to divest. The company demonstrates an exclusive focus on peace and humanitarian technology, evidenced by the establishment of The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts in 2015 with a $100 million gift.

Starting in 2023, it offers courses on peace-building and conflict prevention. However, its direct financial allocation to peacebuilding initiatives is quantitatively low. In 2015, it committed £1.5 million over three years to the "Every Child Learning" partnership , and in 2023, it gave over £477k in humanitarian aid. These amounts represent less than 0.5% of its annual revenue. Historically, in 2012 and 2014, non-US Group companies had minor sales of civilian goods, such as Financial Times subscriptions and Penguin books, to Iranian individuals and banks, with gross revenues of approximately £75,500 and £54,000 respectively. Pearson has a Responsible Procurement Policy, engages with suppliers on human rights and the environment, and its sustainable procurement maturity score improved from good to advanced by EcoVadis. The company is committed to respecting human rights and is recognized by external indices like FTSE 4 Good, DJSI World, and DJSI Europe , receiving a negligible risk ranking from Sustainalytics and ranking in its industry.

Planet-Friendly Business

Pearson's total market-based GHG emissions in 2024 were 238,926 tCO2e, representing a 5.9% reduction compared to 2023.

The company's new long-term targets were approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in 2024 , aiming for a 50% reduction in GHG emissions across operations and value chain by 2030 from a 2018 baseline , and a 90% reduction for net zero by 2050. Pearson sources 100% of its electricity through green tariffs, on-site generation, or Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) in 2024. The waste recycled in office spaces was 32.6% in 2024. The company monitors 90% of its highest-risk suppliers through the EcoVadis IQ tool for climate-related risks. Pearson procured 92% of its paper from certified sources (FSC, PEFC, and SFI) in 2024 , which set standards for banning deforestation. The annual report includes climate-related financial disclosures consistent with TCFD recommendations. Climate risk analysis covers multiple time periods up to 2050 , assessing physical risks using RCP 2.6 and RCP 7 scenarios , and transition risks using four IEA WEO-2021 scenarios. Pearson reported no material impact on the carrying value of any assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2024. The company launched an Education Bond to support eligible projects targeting hard-to-reach learners and communities.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

Pearson provides extensive grievance mechanisms, with a multilingual Ethics and Compliance Portal (PearsonEthics.com) available 24/7 for all stakeholders, including the broader community, and offering anonymous reporting in most countries.

The company has proactive frameworks for cultural incident response, including multiple reporting channels, a commitment to review and investigate all reports, and enhanced content standards. Pearson also implements Race and Ethnicity Editorial Guidelines and the 'Nothing About Us Without Us' principle, collaborating with Indigenous reviewers and authors to prevent cultural appropriation incidents. Furthermore, Pearson demonstrates strong language inclusivity by operating in over 200 countries, using students' first language in activities, and providing a multilingual ethics portal.

Safe & Smart Tech

Pearson demonstrates a strong commitment to ethical AI governance, with a dedicated VP of AI Capabilities

, a governance committee for Pearson VUE , and oversight from the Audit and Reputation & Responsibility Committees . The company has robust compliance processes , AI guidance , and is a member of the TeachAI Advisory Committee , contributing to policy resources and collaborating on an AI literacy framework . AI Literacy Modules were launched for students , and generative AI applications are vetted by subject matter experts . Pearson VUE contracts independent, third-party reviews and audits across AI design, development, and operations . For privacy and security, Pearson holds ISO 27001 certification across Europe since December 2021 , and Pearson VUE test centers are globally certified to ISO 22301:2019 since 2013 . Mandatory training on AI, data privacy, and cybersecurity principles is provided for all employees, partners, and seasonal workers , with 100% of employees completing Code of Conduct certification or training in 2024 , supported by phishing simulations . Pearson introduced a Privacy Centre in 2022 to enhance user control over personal data and enforces multi-factor authentication for all critical systems . Vulnerability management includes continuous monitoring by a Security Operations Control group and internal assessment procedures , with an aim to respond to vulnerability reports within 24 hours . While Pearson has a Responsible Security Disclosure Policy and aims for rapid response , it does not offer a paid bug bounty program . AI technology is responsibly designed to respect and protect data privacy , and a program is implemented for GDPR compliance across the organization and products . System tests, audits, and penetration testing are standard, ongoing practices . Pearson VUE minimizes personal data collection and retention to what is required . Pearson was in full compliance with the UK Corporate Governance Code and FRC Minimum Standard in 2024 and is actively preparing for compliance with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the EU AI Act . AI functionality in Pearson VUE is limited to observation, with human proctors reviewing and taking necessary actions to address potential harms . Pearson actively works with policymakers through forums like TeachAI to inform debate on AI for learners and welcomes AI regulation .

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Pearson recycled 32.6% of its office waste in 2024.

The company reported no environmental prosecutions for waste disposal from 2013 to 2015. Pearson has implemented multiple waste reduction initiatives, including increased investment in print-on-demand services, promoting local printing, consolidating orders, shifting to ocean-freight-first, streamlining and moving to cloud data centers, moving towards an inventory-free system, downsizing its property portfolio, and digitalization leading to reduced paper consumption. These efforts resulted in a 21% reduction in water use, a 24.7% reduction in energy use, and a 21% reduction in paper used per £1m of revenue by 2015, a 10% reduction in physical footprint in 2024, and a reduction of nearly eight million book miles in 2024. The company has set company-wide waste reduction targets, such as reducing absolute water use by 10% by 2018, energy use by 15% by 2018, and paper per £1m revenue by 25% by 2015.