Temu (PDD Holdings Inc.)·E-commerce / Online Retail·Boston, United States·Founded 2022·Last verified 31 May 2026
10
out of 100
Critical concernPending Review

Temu operates with zero environmental disclosure across operations, supply chain, and energy sourcing despite $54B annual revenue and estimated 4.3 million tonnes CO2 emissions. The company's explosive growth, massive air freight logistics, and disposable-consumption model drive rising absolute emissions. Multiple product safety breaches, forced labor risks, and greenwashing allegations compound the environmental negligence.

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
E-commerce / Online Retail sector ceiling.
40 / 100
Performance score
Sum of the 10 rubric questions, scored 0–10 each.
1 / 100
Raw score
Weighted average before scale penalty.
(0.3 × 40) + (0.7 × 1) = 12.7
Scale penalty
Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.
× 0.82
Final score
Rounded. Critical concern.
10 / 100
The ten questions

Where Temu (PDD Holdings Inc.) is strong, and where it isn't.

Strongest on Controversies & Red Flags and Carbon Footprint — Operations (1/10, 0/10). Weakest on Transparency & Accountability and Targets & Commitments (0/10, 0/10).

Where the evidence comes from

Every document used, listed.

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

12 of 12 sources are third-party verified or public record.

[1]Third-party verified
The deals behind Temu: its hidden environmental price and climate silence
2024
Q1Q4Q9
View →
[2]Third-party verified
Temu sustainability and environmental impact report
Unknown
Q1Q6
View →
[3]Third-party verified
Temu brand profile
Ongoing
Q2Q6
View →
[4]Third-party verified
Temu's hidden environmental impact and statistics
2024
Q2Q3Q5Q6Q10
View →
[5]Public record
CalaliseTech: Temu business model analysis
Unknown
Q2
View →
[6]Third-party verified
Shein and Temu: environmental impact comparison
Unknown
Q3
View →
[7]Public record
Temu statistics and market data
Unknown
Q3Q8
View →
[8]Third-party verified
2024 Ethical Fashion Report: Temu and Shein labour assessment
2024
Q9
View →
[9]Public record
Nebraska Attorney General lawsuit: Temu data practices
Unknown
Q8Q10
View →
[10]Third-party verified
Temu, Shein, and ultra-fast fashion environmental costs
2024
Q7
View →
[11]Third-party verified
Temu water pollution and ethical concerns
Unknown
Q7
View →
[12]Third-party verified
Temu and Shein sustainability concerns analysis
Unknown
Q7
View →

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

Temu (PDD Holdings Inc.) in context

Temu (PDD Holdings Inc.) sits at the bottom of the e-commerce / online retail pack.

Among the 15 major e-commerce / online retail brands we've scored, Temu (PDD Holdings Inc.) sits 15th of 15.

15/15
Temu (PDD Holdings Inc.)'s rank
41
Industry average
10
Industry low
56
Industry high
How this score has moved

Temu (PDD Holdings Inc.)'s score over time.

today

Score history begins 4 April 2026.

As Temu (PDD Holdings Inc.)'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 Temu (PDD Holdings Inc.)

Temu is a Chinese-founded e-commerce platform owned by PDD Holdings, launched in the US in 2022 and now operating in 90+ markets. It specializes in ultra-cheap apparel and consumer goods sourced from thousands of suppliers, primarily shipped via air freight. Known for aggressive growth through gamification and deep discounting.

Founded
2022
Headquarters
Boston, United States
Employees
~23,465
Annual revenue
~$54B (PDD Holdings FY2024)
Company website ↗
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