The Kroger Co. sustainability score: 27/100
Below expectations starts at 31. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Kroger is a US grocery retailer operating supermarkets, fuel centers and food manufacturing plants. Incorporated in 1902 (its roots go back to 1883) and based in Cincinnati, it had about 403,000 employees and $147.6 billion in FY2025 revenue.
Founded 1902Head office Cincinnati, Ohio, United StatesStaff ~403,000 (FY2025)Revenue $147,642M revenue (FY2025)Website ↗
Kroger discloses emissions data across Scope 1, 2, and 3 but lacks reduction strategies for 96% of its footprint and walked back its SBTi commitment. Renewable energy fell 50% year-on-year due to cost cuts. A 2026 EPA consent decree imposed a $2.5M civil penalty for refrigerant leak violations spanning 2014–2023.
The Kroger Co. scores 27/100 (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 The Kroger Co. joint 815th of 1,023 companies scored, and joint 48th of 54 in Retail (non-fashion).
What is The Kroger Co. doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Carbon Footprint: Supply Chain (6/10, 6/10). Weakest on Energy Source and Targets & Commitments (3/10, 3/10).
Where The Kroger Co. 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
- How clean its energy isMove to a renewable energy tariff or make a major efficiency investment.
- Its climate targetsSet specific targets with dates.
- Its record on controversiesDeal with the findings under question 10, in public.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations6/10Its 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 falling4/10No evidence of a year-on-year fall in its total emissions.
- How clean its energy is3/10No renewable energy tariff or major efficiency investment shown.
- Its effect on nature4/10Its 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 water4/10No measured water footprint with reduction targets.
- Its climate targets3/10No specific targets with dates.
- How openly it reports6/10No annual impact report, or no pay linked to climate targets.
- Its record on controversies3/10Points 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 The Kroger Co.'s SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleWhat evidence is The Kroger Co.'s score based on?
13 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
31% of them were published by The Kroger Co. itself; the rest come from independent sources.
9 of 13 sources are independent of the company.
“Scope 1 total emissions 2,240,536 -2.1%”
“4,894,705 MTCO2e 5,081,613 MTCO2e 4,916,373 MTCO2e”
“In 2024, the amount of renewable energy purchased from utility providers declined due to unfavorable costs”
“We sell a significant amount of fuel in our 1,731 fuel centers”
“Kroger disclosed a Scope 3 footprint for the first time in 2025 but has not outlined its intention or strategies to reduce these emissions”
“Kroger will require 100% of fresh produce suppliers to implement Integrated Pest Management practices”
“Targets for increasing renewable energy ? : No / not found”
“The settlement resolves Kroger’s failure to promptly repair refrigerant equipment leaks of the refrigerant R-22, a powerful ozone-depleting hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), between 2014 and 2023.”
“Kroger has agreed to pay a $2.5 million civil penalty and spend $100 million over two years to retrofit or replace 600 refrigeration units”
“A recent EPA and U.S. Department of Justice consent decree with Kroger for alleged violations of refrigerant leak repair provisions under the Clean Air Act”
“the grocery company said it has pledged to set new goals aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative”
“By omitting chicken and pig suppliers from its goals, Kroger is missing a huge culprit in environmental destruction.”
“Only four companies (ALDI, Meijer, Target and Kroger) disclose their leak rates”
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How does The Kroger Co. compare with other retail (non-fashion) companies?
Where The Kroger Co. sits among retail (non-fashion) peers.
Among the 54 major retail (non-fashion) brands we've scored, The Kroger Co. is tied =48th of 54, with 2 others.
Who scores higher in Retail (non-fashion)?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above The Kroger Co..
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See the breakdown →The Home Depot's Scope 3 emissions rose from 199.5 Mt to 234.8 Mt between FY2023 and FY2025, and it says it is reassessing its SBTi-validated targets.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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