ByteDance (TikTok) sustainability score: 20/100
Better than 0% of Media / Entertainment / Publishing
Below expectations starts at 31. The highest score on SINK is 71.
ByteDance is a Chinese internet and software company founded in 2012, headquartered in Beijing. It operates TikTok (1B+ monthly active users), Douyin (China), and a global e-commerce platform (TikTok Shop).
More about ByteDance (TikTok)
The company runs massive data center infrastructure across multiple continents and invests heavily in AI and compute capacity, making it one of the world's highest-impact digital platforms by energy consumption.
Founded 2012Head office Beijing, People's Republic of ChinaStaff ~150,000Revenue ~$155BWebsite ↗
ByteDance operates at massive scale—150,000 employees, $155B revenue, 1B+ TikTok users—with almost no public emissions data. The company claims carbon neutrality by 2030 but has disclosed neither Scope 1/2 nor Scope 3 figures, makes no interim progress, and faces active Indigenous land complaints in Brazil. This is greenwashing without substance.
ByteDance (TikTok) scores 20/100 (Significant gaps) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Scores are free. Nobody can pay to change a score, speed it up or hide it. Last verified May 2026.
That places ByteDance (TikTok) joint 973rd of 1,023 companies scored, and joint 27th of 29 in Media / Entertainment / Publishing.
What is ByteDance (TikTok) doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Controversies & Red Flags and Energy Source (7/10, 2/10). Weakest on Carbon Footprint: Supply Chain and Emissions Trajectory (0/10, 0/10).
Where ByteDance (TikTok) lost points
For each question that lost points, the evidence our public rubric looks for that we didn't find.
What would raise this score
- Emissions from its supply chainAssess where its supply-chain emissions come from.
- Whether its emissions are fallingShow its emissions are falling, even from energy bills or mileage.
- Emissions from its own operationsPublish emissions figures for its own operations, even an estimate from energy bills.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations1/10No emissions figures for its own operations, not even an estimate from energy bills.
- Emissions from its supply chain0/10No assessment of where its supply-chain emissions come from.
- Whether its emissions are falling0/10No evidence its emissions are falling, not even from energy bills or mileage.
- How clean its energy is2/10No renewable energy tariff or major efficiency investment shown.
- Its effect on nature1/10No evidence it knows its main risks to nature.
- How it uses materials and handles waste1/10No recycling or waste reduction shown.
- Its effect on water1/10No figures for its water use.
- Its climate targets2/10No specific targets with dates.
- How openly it reports1/10No sustainability information published.
- Its record on controversies7/10Points deducted for controversies or its business model. The finding is under question 10.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Anyone can send us new evidence, free. How to send it.
How is ByteDance (TikTok)'s SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleHas ByteDance (TikTok)'s score changed?
ByteDance (TikTok)'s score has been reviewed 2 times and currently stands where it started, at 20.
- 20 → 207 November 2026
Correction, 7 November 2026: removed an unsourced emissions figure. Score unchanged.
- Scored 204 April 2026
Initial score at platform launch
What evidence is ByteDance (TikTok)'s score based on?
12 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
0% of them were published by ByteDance (TikTok) itself; the rest come from independent sources.
Scored on 4 April 2026 under an earlier version of our method. We're re-checking it under the current method.
12 of 12 sources are independent of the company.
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
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How does ByteDance (TikTok) compare with other media / entertainment / publishing companies?
ByteDance (TikTok) is tied at the bottom of the media / entertainment / publishing pack.
Among the 29 major media / entertainment / publishing brands we've scored, ByteDance (TikTok) is tied =27th of 29, with 2 others.
Who scores higher in Media / Entertainment / Publishing?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above ByteDance (TikTok).
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