Ben & Jerry's·Food & Beverage (meat/dairy)·Waterbury, Vermont, US·Founded 1978·Last verified 31 May 2026
41
out of 100
Below expectationsPending Review

Ben & Jerry's publishes detailed annual sustainability reports and rejects carbon offsetting, but emissions intensity is worsening, not improving. Missed its 2025 SBTi targets and shifted to 2035 ones without delivery explanation. The dairy supply chain—53% of footprint—remains unverified and growing. A 2024 wastewater compliance failure and historical child labour allegations in the supply chain undermine stated ethical commitments.

The calculation

Every score shows its working.

Same formula for every company. No curve. No private weighting.

SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale
Industry base impact
Food & Beverage (meat/dairy) sector ceiling.
30 / 100
Performance score
Sum of the 10 rubric questions, scored 0–10 each.
49 / 100
Raw score
Weighted average before scale penalty.
(0.3 × 30) + (0.7 × 49) = 43.3
Scale penalty
Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.
× 0.95
Final score
Rounded. Below expectations.
41 / 100
The ten questions

Where Ben & Jerry's is strong, and where it isn't.

Strongest on Carbon Footprint — Supply Chain and Energy Source (6/10, 6/10). Weakest on Water Impact and Emissions Trajectory (3/10, 3/10).

Where the evidence comes from

Every document used, listed.

13 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which rubric questions it informed.

10 of 13 sources are third-party verified or public record.

[1]Self-reported
2023 SEAR Report Interactive
2023
Q1Q2Q3Q5Q6Q8Q9
View →
[2]Third-party verified
DitchCarbon — Ben & Jerry's Profile
Ongoing
Q1Q2Q3Q8
View →
[3]Self-reported
Ben & Jerry's Climate Impact — Values Page
Ongoing
Q2Q4Q6
View →
[4]Public record
Ben & Jerry's Powers New Organic Waste-to-Energy Facility
2024
Q4Q6
View →
[5]Public record
Vermont Plant Ben Jerry's Waste into Clean Energy
2025
Q4
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[6]Public record
Ben & Jerry's Tops 2024 Wastewater Violations List
2024
Q7Q10
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[7]Public record
Ben Jerry's New Wastewater Plant Works a Lot Like the Human Body
2025
Q7
View →
[8]Third-party verified
Ethical Consumer — Ben & Jerry's Company Profile
Ongoing
Q5Q7Q9
View →
[9]Self-reported
Ben & Jerry's Carbon Neutrality Statement
2023
Q8
View →
[10]Public record
Moo-phoria or Not: Ben & Jerry's Dairies May Not Be as Environmentally Friendly
2018
Q10
View →
[11]Third-party verified
Unilever Driving Progress on Climate Policy Engagement
Unknown
Q10
View →
[12]Public record
Ben & Jerry's Set: Proving Dairy Can Help Solve Climate Change
Unknown
Q5
View →
[13]Public record
Ben & Jerry's Cutting Emissions from Ice Cream Production
Unknown
Q5Q6
View →

If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.

Ben & Jerry's in context

Ben & Jerry's is the highest-scoring food & beverage (meat/dairy) company we've rated.

Among the 7 major food & beverage (meat/dairy) brands we've scored, Ben & Jerry's sits 1st of 7.

1/7
Ben & Jerry's's rank
29
Industry average
13
Industry low
41
Industry high
How this score has moved

Ben & Jerry's's score over time.

today

Score history begins 11 April 2026.

As Ben & Jerry's's score updates, the trajectory will appear here.

We're backfilling historical scores for FTSE 100 and S&P 100 companies over the coming weeks.

What's being contested

This score is not currently being contested.

Every challenge is published. We'd rather be corrected than wrong — that's the whole point.

No challenges submitted yet. If you have evidence that contradicts this score, you can challenge any question above — cite a public source and we'll review it.

About Ben & Jerry's

Ben & Jerry's is a Vermont-based ice cream manufacturer founded in 1978, now owned by Unilever. The company operates company-owned Scoop Shops and licensed franchises globally. It positions itself as a values-driven B Corporation with a mission-locked independent board, but operates within Unilever's corporate structure.

Founded
1978
Headquarters
Waterbury, Vermont, US
Employees
~1,700
Annual revenue
~$1.1B
Company website ↗
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