Costco Wholesale runs membership warehouse clubs in North America, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Mexico, and online.
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Costco's total emissions remain 18% above its FY20 baseline despite reporting year-on-year reductions. Scope 3 dominates at 99% of total, with fuel sales accounting for 45% of emissions. The company has rejected Science Based Targets alignment, set only intensity-based Scope 3 reduction goals, and faces consistent F grades from As You Sow on plastics and net-zero credibility.
Costco Wholesale scores 29/100 (Significant gaps) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Fees pay for the review, never the result. Last verified October 2026.
That places Costco Wholesale joint 634th of 847 companies scored, and joint 41st of 48 in Retail (non-fashion).
Where Costco Wholesale sits among retail (non-fashion) peers.
Among the 48 major retail (non-fashion) brands we've scored, Costco Wholesale is tied =41st of 48, with 1 other.
Its three lowest-scoring questions, and what the evidence didn't show.
FY23-FY24 decrease attributed to lower EPA factors and product mix, not physical reductions.
Company declined Science Based Targets alignment.
The full reasoning is in the ten questions below.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Evidence that isn't public can count through an evidence review.
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Get in touch →Strongest on Carbon Footprint — Operations and Transparency & Accountability (7/10, 7/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Targets & Commitments (3/10, 3/10).
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Costco Wholesale.
Whole Foods Market publishes no quantified emissions data despite operating 500+ energy-intensive stores with massive supply chain footprint.
See the breakdown →Walmart's Scope 1 and 2 emissions fell 7.5% in FY2026 but it missed its SBTi-approved 35% cut; Scope 3, about 98% of its footprint, rose about 3% to an estimated 635 Mt.
See the breakdown →Costco Wholesale's score has moved from 24 to 29 across 2 recorded reviews, up 5 points.
Fortune 50 re-score (owner-approved batch 3, 2026-10-19)
Initial score at platform launch
The formula and all 10 sources.
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale10 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
“Reported our third-party verified emissions”
“We sell a substantial amount of gasoline, the demand for which could be impacted by concerns and regulation about climate change.”
“Our goal is to operate with electricity from 100% clean energy sources by 2035”
“committed to publishing a comprehensive deforestation assessment and action plan for its Kirkland Signature brand”
“This company received a score of 23.2%.”
“Scope 3 emissions accounted for over 98% of its carbon”
“passed with 70% approval”
“shareholders have voted for a proposal that called on the retailer to set out plans to reach net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050”
“Costco has not disclosed a list of its industry association memberships”
“we are disappointed that the company has declined to pursue alignment”
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
Costco Wholesale runs membership warehouse clubs in North America, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Mexico, and online. It had $303 billion in FY2026 revenue and about 355,000 employees; private-label Kirkland Signature products and member fuel stations are central to its model.
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