Krispy Kreme·Food Service / Restaurants·Winston-Salem, North Carolina, US·Founded 1937·Last verified 31 May 2026
33
out of 100
Below expectationsPending Review

Krispy Kreme has published initial sustainability disclosures but lacks emissions reduction targets, Scope 3 reporting, and water data. Global emissions rose 8% from 2021–2022 with no reduction strategy. Carbon neutrality claims in UK/Ireland rely on offsets while company-wide emissions increase—a classic offset-greenwash move.

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 Service / Restaurants sector ceiling.
45 / 100
Performance score
Sum of the 10 rubric questions, scored 0–10 each.
28 / 100
Raw score
Weighted average before scale penalty.
(0.3 × 45) + (0.7 × 28) = 33.1
Scale penalty
Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.
× 1
Final score
Rounded. Below expectations.
33 / 100
The ten questions

Where Krispy Kreme is strong, and where it isn't.

Strongest on Controversies & Red Flags and Carbon Footprint — Operations (6/10, 5/10). Weakest on Targets & Commitments and Water Impact (1/10, 1/10).

Where the evidence comes from

Every document used, listed.

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

[1]Self-reported
Krispy Kreme Be Sweet Responsibility Fact Sheet 2024
2024
Q1Q2Q3Q7Q8Q9
View →
[2]Public record
Krispy Kreme First ESG Report: Carbon Emissions Rise
2024
Q1Q3Q6Q8
View →
[3]Self-reported
Krispy Kreme UK Sustainability: Planet
Ongoing
Q4Q5
View →
[4]Self-reported
Krispy Kreme UK Carbon Neutral
Ongoing
Q4Q10
View →
[5]Public record
Krispy Kreme, Dunkin' Donuts to Cut Palm Oil Linked to Deforestation
2014
Q5
View →
[6]Public record
Food Business News: Krispy Kreme Saves Waste Through App Partnership
Unknown
Q2
View →
[7]Public record
Sustainable Food Business: Krispy Kreme Be Sweet Report
2023
Q6
View →
[8]Public record
MarketScreener: Krispy Kreme 2023 Report
2023
Q9
View →
[9]Public record
Mashed: Scandals Krispy Kreme Can Never Live Down
Unknown
Q10
View →
[10]Public record
OpenSecrets: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Lobbying Summary
Ongoing
Q10
View →

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

Krispy Kreme in context

Where Krispy Kreme sits among food service / restaurants peers.

Among the 46 major food service / restaurants brands we've scored, Krispy Kreme is tied =23rd of 46, with 1 other.

=23/46
Krispy Kreme's rank
34
Industry average
19
Industry low
50
Industry high
How this score has moved

Krispy Kreme's score over time.

today

Score history begins 5 April 2026.

As Krispy Kreme'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 Krispy Kreme

Krispy Kreme is a US-based doughnut retailer and manufacturer founded in 1937, headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Operating across 30+ countries with company-owned stores, franchises, and manufacturing hubs, it generates approximately $1.5 billion in annual revenue. The company competes in the quick-service restaurant and packaged food sectors.

Founded
1937
Headquarters
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, US
Employees
~21,000
Annual revenue
~$1.5B
Company website ↗
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