Tesco·Retail (non-fashion)·Welwyn Garden City, United Kingdom·Founded 1919·Last verified 31 May 2026
33
out of 100
Below expectationsPending Review-1 since last review

Tesco has achieved genuine operational decarbonization (65% Scope 1&2 reduction since 2015) and secured 100% renewable electricity via large corporate PPAs. However, Scope 3 emissions—representing 90% of its footprint—remain flat since 2020. Material supply chain failures include documented Amazon deforestation via Cargill soy and River Wye pollution from intensive chicken farming, both breaching stated 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
Retail (non-fashion) sector ceiling.
48 / 100
Performance score
Sum of the 10 rubric questions, scored 0–10 each.
59 / 100
Raw score
Weighted average before scale penalty.
(0.3 × 48) + (0.7 × 59) = 55.7
Scale penalty
Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.
× 0.6
Final score
Rounded. Below expectations.
33 / 100
The ten questions

Where Tesco is strong, and where it isn't.

Strongest on Energy Source and Carbon Footprint — Operations (8/10, 7/10). Weakest on Water Impact and Nature & Biodiversity Impact (3/10, 4/10).

Where the evidence comes from

Every document used, listed.

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

11 of 14 sources are third-party verified or public record.

[1]Self-reported
Tesco Sustainability Report 2025

Scope 1 emissions 802,425 tCO₂e; Scope 2 market-based 5,497 tCO₂e, FY2024/25

2025
Q1Q2Q3Q6Q8Q9
View →
[2]Self-reported
Tesco ESG Methodologies

We engaged Deloitte LLP to provide independent limited assurance over our most critical KPIs

2025
Q1Q9
View →
[3]Third-party verified
Mighty Earth: Tesco — A Basket of Problems for the Amazon

Tesco's 2020 cut-off date has been breached and indicates that its 2025 target is likely unachievable

2023
Q2Q5Q8Q10
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[4]Public record
Supply Chain Digital: Yellow Labels — How Tesco Rescued 60 Million Meals

Surpassing its 2025 goal, Tesco has slashed Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 65% from its baseline

Unknown
Q3
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[5]Third-party verified
Tracenable: Tesco GHG Emissions

Since 2020, Tesco's Scope 3 emissions have remained relatively stable

Unknown
Q3
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[6]Public record
Pex Park: PRMC — A Reality Check of Corporate Procurement Trends in 2025

Tesco has sourced 100% of its electricity from renewable sources since 2020

2025
Q4
View →
[7]Public record
Energy Live News: Tesco Signs Largest UK Corporate Solar Power Agreement

The agreement secures 65% of the solar power generated from the Cleve Hill Solar Park

2024
Q4
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[8]Third-party verified
World Benchmarking Alliance: Nature Benchmark — Tesco

No evidence was found regarding the company's efforts to avoid ecosystem conversion, including deforestation

Unknown
Q5
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[9]Self-reported
Sustainability Reports: Tesco 2025

reached 87% kerbside recyclability for own-brand packaging and redistributed 82% of unsold food in the UK

2025
Q6
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[10]Public record
Packaging Gateway: Tesco Sets Sight on Fully Recyclable Packaging by End of 2025

more than 2.5 billion pieces of plastic have been removed from its own-brand products since 2019

Unknown
Q6
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[11]Public record
Sustainability Beat: WWF Tesco River Wye

intensive chicken production was ravaging the River Wye has been pulled as a result of their ongoing partnership

2024
Q7Q10
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[12]Third-party verified
Ethical Consumer: Tesco PLC

Tesco has been linked to intensive chicken production and the devastating pollution of the River Wye

Unknown
Q7
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[13]Public record
IFAC: Tesco PLC — Finance Teams Partnering to Enable Net Zero Commitments

Progress on the KPI is reported annually, with limited assurance from Tesco's external audit provider, currently Deloitte

Unknown
Q9
View →
[14]Public record
Products of Change: Tesco Among First Retailers to Have Net Zero Targets SBTi-Validated

one of the first retailers in the world to have its net zero targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative

Unknown
Q8
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If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.

Tesco in context

Where Tesco sits among retail (non-fashion) peers.

Among the 43 major retail (non-fashion) brands we've scored, Tesco is tied =32nd of 43, with 1 other.

=32/43
Tesco's rank
39
Industry average
18
Industry low
55
Industry high
How this score has moved

Tesco's score over time.

today

Score history begins 29 May 2026.

As Tesco'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 Tesco

Tesco is the largest retailer in the UK and one of Europe's largest supermarket chains, operating grocery stores, convenience shops, and online delivery across multiple countries. Founded 1919, headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, it serves over 100 million customers weekly with 423,092 employees.

Founded
1919
Headquarters
Welwyn Garden City, United Kingdom
Employees
~423,092 (2020)
Annual revenue
~£68B (FY2024/25)
Company website ↗
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