Tesco is the UK's largest grocery retailer, operating over 3,400 stores across the UK and Ireland.
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Tesco has credible operational decarbonization (65% Scope 1+2 reduction, 100% renewable electricity) but supply chain emissions—98% of its footprint—remain largely unquantified and unverified. Material failures persist: deforestation pledges broken, River Wye pollution linked to its chicken supply chain, ASA ruling on greenwashing, and alleged suppression of critical WWF reporting.
Tesco scores 38/100 (Below expectations) 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 Tesco joint 410th of 847 companies scored, and joint 23rd of 48 in Retail (non-fashion).
Where Tesco sits among retail (non-fashion) peers.
Among the 48 major retail (non-fashion) brands we've scored, Tesco is tied =23rd of 48, with 2 others.
Its three lowest-scoring questions, and what the evidence didn't show.
However: Mighty Earth (Sept 2023) found Brazilian chicken in stores despite deforestation pledge; River Wye phosphorus pollution linked to Tesco's Avara Foods chicken supply; Guardian (March 2024) reported WWF shelved critical report on Tesco's chicken supply chain.
No publicly quantified operational water reduction target.
Only selected categories (1, 3, 4, 6) are Deloitte-assured; full 15-category GHG Protocol Scope 3 not disclosed.
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 Energy Source (8/10, 7/10). Weakest on Nature & Biodiversity Impact and Water Impact (4/10, 4/10).
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Tesco.
Waitrose has strong science-based climate targets and operational emissions reductions, but Scope 3—98% of its footprint—remains largely unmapped and unquantified.
See the breakdown →Harrods disclosed emissions data for the first time in 2024 but reports only a 2.4% reduction against an ambitious 90% by-2030 target—trajectory is dangerously slow.
See the breakdown →Specsavers has set science-aligned carbon targets and published verified emissions data, but refuses to disclose actual tonnage figures.
See the breakdown →The formula and all 12 sources.
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale12 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
7 of 12 sources are independent of the company.
“Scope 1 emissions 802,425 tonnes; Scope 2 market-based 5,497 tonnes of CO₂e”
“Scope 1 (tonnes of CO2e) 802,425; Scope 2(a) Market-based method (tonnes of CO2e) 5,497”
“73.1 million tCO2e/year reported in 2024/25”
“100% of electricity came from renewable sources”
“selected-data limited assurance by Deloitte LLP”
“Tesco focused its TNFD LEAP assessment on the business' palm oil supply chain”
“Tesco has been accused of greenwashing after selling Brazilian meat despite promising to ban it over deforestation”
“Illegal deforestation and forest fires in the Amazon are linked to its chicken and pork production”
“PPAs will cover 45% of Tesco UK's electricity demand or 36% of the Group's expected 2030 electricity demand”
“The agreement, facilitated by EDF, secures 65% of the solar power generated from the Cleve Hill Solar Park”
“a significant factor in the increase in poultry production in the region after 2018 was in order to meet the chicken meat demands of Tesco”
“In the Tesco case, the complaints were upheld — ASA held that specific advertisements breached BCAP and CAP Code rules on environmental claims”
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
Tesco is the UK's largest grocery retailer, operating over 3,400 stores across the UK and Ireland. Founded in 1919 and headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, it generates £54bn+ annual revenue and employs 423,000 people. It is a conventional public limited company with extensive exposure to agricultural supply chain risks.
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