Co-operative Group Limited sustainability score: 50/100
Better than 92% of Retail (non-fashion)
Leading practice starts at 60. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Co-operative Group Limited is a UK-based retail cooperative operating approximately 2,400 stores across food retail, convenience, and funeral services. Founded in 1863 and headquartered in Manchester, it is one of the UK's largest food retailers by market share.
Founded 1863Head office Manchester, United KingdomStaff ~70,000Revenue ~£11BWebsite ↗
Co-op has delivered measurable absolute emissions cuts across Scope 1+2 (59%) and met climate targets early, backed by SBTi validation. Scope 3 lags at 21% reduction despite representing 90% of footprint. Supply chain animal welfare failures and incomplete nature disclosure weaken its sustainability case.
Co-operative Group Limited scores 50/100 (Making progress) 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 Co-operative Group Limited joint 155th of 1,023 companies scored, and joint 4th of 54 in Retail (non-fashion).
What is Co-operative Group Limited doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Energy Source (8/10, 8/10). Weakest on Water Impact and Nature & Biodiversity Impact (4/10, 5/10).
Where Co-operative Group Limited 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
- Its effect on waterMeasure its water footprint and set reduction targets.
- Its effect on natureMeasure its effect on nature and have it independently verified.
- How it uses materials and handles wastePublish verified figures for reuse and recycling across the business.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations8/10No verified figures published with their method and a falling trend.
- Emissions from its supply chain7/10No full value-chain map or supplier engagement programme.
- Whether its emissions are falling7/10No consistent fall over several years across its operations and supply chain.
- How clean its energy is8/10Its own operations aren't shown to run on 100% renewable energy.
- Its effect on nature5/10Its effect on nature isn't measured or independently verified.
- How it uses materials and handles waste6/10No verified figures for reuse and recycling across the business.
- Its effect on water4/10No measured water footprint with reduction targets.
- Its climate targets8/10No validated long-term net zero target.
- How openly it reports7/10No annual impact report, or no pay linked to climate targets.
- 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 Co-operative Group Limited's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleHas Co-operative Group Limited's score changed?
Co-operative Group Limited's score has moved from 57 to 50 across 2 recorded reviews, down 7 points.
- 57 → 50-77 November 2026
Correction, 7 November 2026: removed a related-company note naming a customer, supplier or partner without a source. Score unchanged.
- Scored 574 April 2026
Initial score at platform launch
What evidence is Co-operative Group Limited's score based on?
12 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
50% of them were published by Co-operative Group Limited itself; the rest come from independent sources.
6 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 Co-operative Group Limited compare with other retail (non-fashion) companies?
Where Co-operative Group Limited sits among retail (non-fashion) peers.
Among the 54 major retail (non-fashion) brands we've scored, Co-operative Group Limited is tied =4th of 54, with 1 other.
Who scores higher in Retail (non-fashion)?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Co-operative Group Limited.
Pets at Home has credible operational carbon targets (SBTi-validated, 42% Scope 1+2 reduction by 2030) and has achieved a genuine 44% absolute reduction since 2016 while growing sales 87%.
See the breakdown →Tiffany has credible absolute emission reductions and SBTi-validated net-zero targets, but supply chain opacity remains severe.
See the breakdown →WHSmith has delivered genuine operational emissions reductions—89% below 2020 baseline—backed by third-party verification and renewable electricity across its core estate.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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