Walmart runs supercenters, neighbourhood markets and e-commerce, selling groceries, general merchandise and private-label goods.
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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. It missed its packaging and waste-diversion goals, paid a $3M FTC penalty in 2022 over false 'bamboo' product claims, and belongs to trade groups that oppose climate policy.
Walmart scores 30/100 (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 Walmart joint 614th of 847 companies scored, and joint 39th of 48 in Retail (non-fashion).
Where Walmart sits among retail (non-fashion) peers.
Among the 48 major retail (non-fashion) brands we've scored, Walmart is tied =39th of 48, with 1 other.
Its three lowest-scoring questions, and what the evidence didn't show.
Walmart's FY2026 ESG report contains no quantified water withdrawal or consumption figure and no reduction target.
LobbyMap/InfluenceMap (score B-) documents Business Roundtable and Canadian Chamber of Commerce memberships opposed to energy transition.
Scope 1 and 2 are 24.6% below FY2016 baseline and fell 7.5% in FY2026, but missed the SBTi-approved 35% cut target by FY2026.
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 Carbon Footprint — Supply Chain (8/10, 6/10). Weakest on Water Impact and Controversies & Red Flags (2/10, 3/10).
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Walmart.
Target cut market-based Scope 1 and 2 emissions 67.9% from 2017, mostly through renewable electricity certificates, but Scope 3 fell only from 59.6 to 55.7 Mt and its assurance covers only business air travel.
See the breakdown →Asda reports Scope 1/2 emissions with GHG Protocol rigour and has cut operational carbon 48% since 2021, but Scope 3 — 98% of its footprint — remains largely unverified and uncut.
See the breakdown →Whole Foods Market publishes no quantified emissions data despite operating 500+ energy-intensive stores with massive supply chain footprint.
See the breakdown →Walmart's score has moved from 27 to 30 across 2 recorded reviews, up 3 points.
Fortune 50 re-score (owner-approved batch 3, 2026-10-19)
Initial score at platform launch
The formula and all 17 sources.
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale17 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
13 of 17 sources are independent of the company.
“Scope 1 emissions (MMT CO e) 8.16 9.04 8.94”
“In FY2026, absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions decreased 7.5% year over year resulting in a 24.6% reduction versus our FY2016 baseline”
“The program covered more than 4,300 suppliers for the reporting period; they account for almost 80 percent of Walmart”
“For the year, Walmart reduced absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 7.5%”
“The retail giant did report a 1.1% jump in its year-over-year scope 1 and scope 2 emissions in 2024”
“our suppliers and grantees reported sustainably managing, protecting, and/or restoring natural resources across 76.2 million acres of land”
“establish a DCF cutoff date of no later than 2020”
“Our reported private brand virgin plastic packaging was 4.12% above the FY2021 baseline in FY2026, rather than achieving the 15% reduction goal.”
“it did not meet certain 2025 private-label packaging sustainability targets”
“The retailer also sought a 15% reduction of virgin plastic in global private-brand packaging by 2025 against a 2020 baseline.”
“In 2024, Walmart updated its assessment to align with the TNFD framework”
“alleging violations of the Clean Air Act in connection with the Company's refrigeration leak detection and repair program”
“Walmart will pay $3 million in civil penalties after the Federal Trade Commission filed suit against the retailer”
“Walmart, however, retains membership to industry groups with oppositional positioning on the energy transition, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Business Roundtable.”
“Research cited by ClimateVoice found that 70 Walmart lobbyists also represent fossil fuel industry clients.”
“renewable sources supplied 53.3 percent of its global electricity, ahead of the 50 percent it had targeted for 2025”
“Accuracy of Indirect Climate Policy Engagement Disclosure No, does not meet criteria”
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
Walmart runs supercenters, neighbourhood markets and e-commerce, selling groceries, general merchandise and private-label goods. It is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, and had about 2.1 million associates and $713.2 billion in FY2026 revenue.
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