H&M sustainability score: 44/100
Better than 100% of Apparel (Fast Fashion)
Making progress starts at 46. The highest score on SINK is 71.
H&M Group is a Swedish fashion retailer headquartered in Stockholm, with the H&M, COS, Weekday, & Other Stories and ARKET brands and the second-hand platform Sellpy. It sells clothing, footwear, accessories, cosmetics and homeware through 4,101 stores and online.
More about H&M
It had about 94,700 full-time employees on average and SEK 228.3 billion net sales in its 2025 financial year, to November.
Head office Stockholm, SwedenStaff ~94,744 average FTE (FY2025)Revenue ~SEK 228.3B net sales (FY2025)Website ↗
H&M's footprint fell 12.5% in 2025 to 6.86 MtCO2e, and its supply-chain emissions are 35% below 2019, though they rose in 2024. 95% of its electricity is renewable, half through new power purchase agreements, its targets are SBTi-approved, and supplier factories with coal boilers fell from 118 to 10. But only 26% of its supply-chain data is measured, a 2024 Earthsight report linked its suppliers' cotton to deforestation in Brazil, and in 2022 it paid €500,000 to sustainability causes to close a Dutch regulator's case over its 'Conscious' labels.
H&M scores 44/100 (Below expectations) 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 H&M joint 306th of 1,023 companies scored, and 1st of 18 in Apparel (Fast Fashion).
What is H&M doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Targets & Commitments (9/10, 9/10). Weakest on Nature & Biodiversity Impact and Resource Use & Waste (5/10, 5/10).
Where H&M 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 natureMeasure its effect on nature and have it independently verified.
- How it uses materials and handles wasteReport measurable waste or recycling targets publicly.
- Whether its emissions are fallingShow a consistent fall over several years across its operations and supply chain.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations9/10No verified figures published with their method and a falling trend.
- Emissions from its supply chain8/10Its Scope 3 emissions aren't fully verified or falling year on year.
- Whether its emissions are falling6/10No 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 waste5/10No measurable waste or recycling targets reported publicly.
- Its effect on water6/10No water stewardship programme or verified fall in water use.
- Its climate targets9/10No validated long-term net zero target.
- How openly it reports8/10No 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 H&M's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleHas H&M's score changed?
H&M's score has moved from 40 to 44 across 2 recorded reviews, up 4 points.
- 40 → 44+429 October 2026
Re-scored under the current methodology (v2.5); owner ruling 2026-10-29
- Scored 408 February 2026
Initial score at platform launch
What evidence is H&M's score based on?
18 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
22% of them were published by H&M itself; the rest come from independent sources.
14 of 18 sources are independent of the company.
“41 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in scopes”
“We have conducted a limited assurance engagement of the sustainability statement for H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB (publ)”
“H&M stood out for financially backing suppliers’ attempt to slash emissions.”
“cotton used by fast fashion behemoths H&M and Zara is linked to large-scale deforestation, land grabbing, human rights abuses and violent land conflicts”
“CDP 2 A-listed the H&M group for climate and water”
“Our annual and sustainability report is our main disclosure under the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)”
“During 2025, H&M Group received an A rating for both Climate and Water, and a B rating for Forests from CDP”
“slash its absolute scope 1 and 2 emissions and its scope 3 emissions by 56% respectively by 2030 from a 2019 baseline”
“the company argues instead that the focus should be on absolute emissions reduction within corporate value chains”
“This is the largest solar PPA contracted in Sweden to date.”
“to compensate for their use of unclear and insufficiently substantiated sustainability claims”
“H&M is strategically and positively engaged with climate policy.”
“The company said that the targets were set under the guidance of the Science Based Targets Network, and have been validated by the SBTN.”
“a skirt donated to H&M traveled 24,800 kilometers from London to waste ground in Mali, where it was seemingly dumped”
“H&M was recognised for its climate pledges and transparency, support for supplier decarbonisation, especially in Bangladesh”
“H&M committed to donating EUR 500,000 to a non-profit organisation, not affiliated with H&M, that is active in sustainability.”
“ACM found that H&M uses sustainability claims such as “Conscious” and “Conscious Choice,” without explaining what they mean”
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How does H&M compare with other apparel (fast fashion) companies?
H&M is the highest-scoring apparel (fast fashion) company we've rated.
Among the 18 major apparel (fast fashion) brands we've scored, H&M sits 1st of 18.
Who comes next in Apparel (Fast Fashion)?
H&M leads its sector. These are the next 3 down.
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See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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