WH Smith·Retail (non-fashion)·Swindon, United Kingdom·Founded 1782·Last verified 31 May 2026
52
out of 100
Making progressPending Review

WHSmith has delivered genuine operational emissions reductions—89% below 2020 baseline—backed by third-party verification and renewable electricity across its core estate. But Scope 3 remains vague (spend-based estimates only), nature impact reporting is absent, and water disclosure is non-existent. The company has solid commitments and no major controversies, but lacks the granularity and ambition expected at scale.

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.
58 / 100
Raw score
Weighted average before scale penalty.
(0.3 × 48) + (0.7 × 58) = 55.0
Scale penalty
Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.
× 0.95
Final score
Rounded. Making progress.
52 / 100
The ten questions

Where WH Smith is strong, and where it isn't.

Strongest on Energy Source and Controversies & Red Flags (8/10, 8/10). Weakest on Water Impact and Resource Use & Waste (3/10, 4/10).

Where the evidence comes from

Every document used, listed.

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

Limited data coverage. This assessment is based on 5 sources, 60% of which are self-reported by the company. Scores may change as independent evidence becomes available.

[1]Self-reported
WHSmith 2024 Sustainability Addendum
2024
Q1Q2Q6Q9
View →
[2]Self-reported
WHSmith 2025 Annual Report
2025
Q1Q2Q3Q5Q8
View →
[3]Self-reported
WHSmith Sustainability — Planet
Ongoing
Q4Q5Q6Q7Q8Q10
View →
[4]Public record
WHSmith targets net-zero emissions by 2025 (edie.net)
Unknown
Q3
View →
[5]Public record
WHSmith 2024 Sustainability Report (MarketScreener)
2024
Q9Q10
View →

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

WH Smith in context

Where WH Smith sits among retail (non-fashion) peers.

Among the 43 major retail (non-fashion) brands we've scored, WH Smith is tied =2nd of 43, with 1 other.

=2/43
WH Smith's rank
39
Industry average
18
Industry low
55
Industry high
How this score has moved

WH Smith's score over time.

today

Score history begins 5 April 2026.

As WH Smith'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 WH Smith

WHSmith is a British retailer founded in 1782, headquartered in Swindon. It operates High Street stores, travel retail outlets, and online channels selling books, stationery, magazines, and convenience goods across the UK, USA, and Europe. It is a mid-cap listed company with 1,500+ stores.

Founded
1782
Headquarters
Swindon, United Kingdom
Employees
~10,000+
Annual revenue
~£1.55B
Company website ↗
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