Better Health for All

Williams Companies' core business, natural gas infrastructure, is associated with severe and widespread negative health impacts. Its operations have led to at least 15 major explosions and fires in the last ten years, killing six people and injuring 103.

Incidents between 2020 and 2025 released 8,837 metric tons of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and toxic chemicals like benzene, which was found in groundwater at 36,000 times safe drinking levels in one instance. The company's entire revenue is derived from these activities with established negative health outcomes. Williams has a very poor safety record, with more incidents, fatalities, and releases per incident than most other gas transmission operators. Regulators have repeatedly cited and fined the company for safety violations, including a $3.75 million civil penalty for Clean Air Act violations in 2023. The company has also been fined $33.9 million for price-fixing or anti-competitive practices, and its operational costs contribute to expensive natural gas. Risk disclosures are incomplete, with PHMSA citing missing safety data and 4 out of 5 incidents between 2010-2013 being discovered by outsiders. The company's operations generate major health-harming externalities, including severe pollution and community health impacts, with remediation efforts often mandated by settlements and appearing inadequate given the scale of the issues.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Williams Companies Inc. operates in the energy infrastructure sector, focusing on natural gas, and does not engage in financial services such as lending, deposit services, or microfinance.

Consequently, the company does not offer financial products or services to consumers, nor does it manage customer financial data. While Williams contributes to local economies through property taxes, paying $215 million in 2022, and its projects, like the Southeast Energy Connector, are projected to generate $97.5 million in gross business activity and nearly 300 jobs, these are indirect economic impacts. These contributions do not align with the specific criteria of fair financial services, wealth-building opportunities for underserved populations, or community finance reinvestment, which are the focus of the 'Fair Money & Economic Opportunity' value.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

In 2024, no Williams employees were represented under collective bargaining agreements.

The company reported a Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) for employees of 0.77 per 200,000 work hours in 2024. Voluntary employee turnover was 5% in 2024. and the average employee engagement index score was 77. The company states it respects freedom of association and collective bargaining, is committed to equal opportunity, and conducts annual pay equity reviews. Comprehensive medical plans are offered to full-time and most part-time employees.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

No specific, quantifiable data was found in the provided articles to assess Williams Companies Inc. against the 'Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing' KPIs. While the company reported $320 million in total spend with diverse suppliers in 2023, the total procurement budget is not provided, preventing calculation of the required percentage.

The company also states it requires all business partners to acknowledge a Code of Conduct for Suppliers and Contractors, but the articles do not explicitly confirm that these are enforceable clauses within supplier contracts, as required by the rubric. No other specific metrics (e.g., percentage of spend covered by fair-trade certifications, average supplier audit frequency, or number of forced/child labor incidents) are available.

Kind to Animals

As an energy infrastructure company, Williams Companies Inc. does not produce consumer products, engage in animal testing, or operate animal agriculture. Therefore, most animal welfare KPIs, such as cruelty-free certification, alternative testing usage, humane certifications, ethical input substitution, supplier audits for animal welfare, cage-free sourcing, animal testing policy/volume, innovation investment in animal-free tech, and animal agriculture ethics, are not applicable. While the company undertakes various wildlife conservation initiatives, including habitat restoration, species support programs, and funding for wildlife crossings

, the provided articles do not include the company's total annual revenue. Without this financial data, it is not possible to quantitatively assess the scale of these initiatives against the rubric's revenue-based thresholds for wildlife conservation impact. Similarly, evidence of public policy engagement relates to managing their own project impacts and general energy policy , rather than advocating for broader animal welfare policy improvements.

No War, No Weapons

Williams Companies Inc does not engage in military contracts or weapons manufacturing, focusing instead on energy infrastructure.

This indicates no revenue from arms contracts, no dual-use products developed or sold, no exposure to any weapons, and no defense assets to divest. The company also has no surveillance or intelligence activities. However, it maintains a neutral position regarding peace initiatives, which implies no investment in peacebuilding. Human rights due diligence is carried out through onboarding and contractual language, but there is no evidence of operations in conflict-affected areas, making this KPI not applicable. Similarly, no applicable technology development for peace tech is evidenced.

Planet-Friendly Business

In 2023, Williams settled with the EPA to address Clean Air Act violations at 15 natural gas plants, agreeing to implement an enhanced Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) program with injunctive relief valued at over $8.5 million.

The company has a goal to decrease intensity-based carbon emissions by 30% from 2018 levels by 2028, achieving a 26% reduction by 2023. Williams became the first large-scale midstream company in the U.S. to join OGMP 2.0. It received an 'A-' score on the CDP Climate Change Questionnaire and was named to the DJSI North America and World indices, and one of America's Most Responsible Companies 2024 by Newsweek.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

No cultural appropriation incidents were reported.

The company has an Indigenous Peoples Policy, effective May 8, 2025, and revised July 10, 2025, which applies to all operations and aims to mitigate project impacts and ensure culturally responsible operations. This policy, along with the Indigenous Peoples Council and Native Employee Resource Group, indicates proactive prevention and rapid response frameworks for cultural incidents. No incidents of disruption to cultural or heritage sites were reported, aligning with active protection measures. Williams also demonstrated respect for cultural heritage by donating 18 Native American cultural objects to the Natural History Museum of Utah in July 2025 and providing grants to the Tribal Alliance of Pollinators.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Williams has a history of significant environmental and waste-related regulatory issues. In 2023, the company incurred a $12.25 million EPA fine for environmental violations, along with other substantial penalties for environmental and water pollution.

The company also faced a $3.75 million civil penalty for Clean Air Act violations related to VOC and hazardous air pollutant emissions at 11 natural gas processing plants. These numerous and serious violations indicate poor hazardous waste management and a failure to properly handle and minimize hazardous materials. Despite these issues, Williams recycled, reused, or recovered approximately 48% of its operational waste in 2024. The company has implemented several waste reduction initiatives, including a pilot project to recycle pit liners, developing a waste tracking tool in 2023, and a streamlined inventory management strategy. Since 2017, approximately 36,000 tons of salt-impacted soil have been diverted from landfills through a waste minimization emplacement process. The Tulsa headquarters recycled approximately 46 tons of materials in 2024, and over 82% of waste from Houston office renovations was recycled.