Costco Wholesale sustainability score: 29/100
Better than 15% of Retail (non-fashion)
Below expectations starts at 31. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Costco Wholesale runs membership warehouse clubs in North America, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Mexico, and online. It had $303 billion in FY2026 revenue and about 355,000 employees; private-label Kirkland Signature products and member fuel stations are central to its model.
Founded 1993Head office Issaquah, Washington, USStaff ~355,000 (FY2026)Revenue $303,154M revenue (FY2026)Website ↗
Costco's total emissions remain 18% above its FY20 baseline despite reporting year-on-year reductions. Scope 3 dominates at 99% of total, with fuel sales accounting for 45% of emissions. The company has rejected Science Based Targets alignment, set only intensity-based Scope 3 reduction goals, and faces consistent F grades from As You Sow on plastics and net-zero credibility.
Costco Wholesale scores 29/100 (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 October 2026.
That places Costco Wholesale joint 753rd of 1,023 companies scored, and joint 45th of 54 in Retail (non-fashion).
What is Costco Wholesale doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Transparency & Accountability (7/10, 7/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Targets & Commitments (3/10, 3/10).
Where Costco Wholesale 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
- Whether its emissions are fallingShow its emissions are falling.
- Its climate targetsSet specific targets with dates.
- How clean its energy isShow at least half its energy is renewable, with a transition plan.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations7/10Its own emissions aren't independently verified or tracked over several years.
- Emissions from its supply chain6/10No full value-chain map or supplier engagement programme.
- Whether its emissions are falling3/10No evidence its emissions are falling.
- How clean its energy is4/10Less than half its energy shown to be renewable, or no transition plan.
- Its effect on nature4/10Its effect on nature isn't measured or independently verified.
- How it uses materials and handles waste4/10No measurable waste or recycling targets reported publicly.
- Its effect on water4/10No measured water footprint with reduction targets.
- Its climate targets3/10No specific targets with dates.
- How openly it reports7/10No mission-locked structure, such as B Corp certification.
- Its record on controversies6/10Points 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 Costco Wholesale's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleHas Costco Wholesale's score changed?
Costco Wholesale's score has moved from 24 to 29 across 2 recorded reviews, up 5 points.
- 24 → 29+519 October 2026
Fortune 50 re-score (owner-approved batch 3, 2026-10-19)
- Scored 244 April 2026
Initial score at platform launch
What evidence is Costco Wholesale's score based on?
10 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
20% of them were published by Costco Wholesale itself; the rest come from independent sources.
“Reported our third-party verified emissions”
“We sell a substantial amount of gasoline, the demand for which could be impacted by concerns and regulation about climate change.”
“Our goal is to operate with electricity from 100% clean energy sources by 2035”
“committed to publishing a comprehensive deforestation assessment and action plan for its Kirkland Signature brand”
“This company received a score of 23.2%.”
“Scope 3 emissions accounted for over 98% of its carbon”
“passed with 70% approval”
“shareholders have voted for a proposal that called on the retailer to set out plans to reach net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050”
“Costco has not disclosed a list of its industry association memberships”
“we are disappointed that the company has declined to pursue alignment”
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How does Costco Wholesale compare with other retail (non-fashion) companies?
Where Costco Wholesale sits among retail (non-fashion) peers.
Among the 54 major retail (non-fashion) brands we've scored, Costco Wholesale is tied =45th of 54, with 1 other.
Who scores higher in Retail (non-fashion)?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Costco Wholesale.
Lyreco UK reports rising operational emissions (+18% year-on-year), incomplete supply-chain carbon accounting, and conflicting net-zero timelines.
See the breakdown →Frasers Group reported 87,962 tCO2e for the year to April 2026, down from 90,561 t, but only 13,504 t of that is Scope 3: staff car travel, power losses and well-to-tank.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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