Primark sustainability score: 37/100
Better than 94% of Apparel (Fast Fashion)
Making progress starts at 46. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Primark is an Irish fast-fashion retailer owned by Associated British Foods, with ~82,700 employees and £9.5bn retail revenue, it competes in the ultra-low-cost segment.
Head office Dublin, IrelandStaff ~82,676 (2025)Revenue £9,489M Retail (Primark) segment revenue (52 weeks to 13 Sep 2025)Website ↗
Primark has cut operational emissions 71% since 2018/19 but supply-chain reductions lag: total emissions fell only 5.7% in six years, and purchased-goods emissions remain 2% above baseline. The Dutch advertising code committee ruled its '50% CO2 reduction' posters misleading, and Deutsche Umwelthilfe has criticised its self-made 'Primark Cares' label.
Primark scores 37/100 (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 November 2026.
That places Primark joint 507th of 1,023 companies scored, and 2nd of 18 in Apparel (Fast Fashion).
What is Primark doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Transparency & Accountability (8/10, 8/10). Weakest on Nature & Biodiversity Impact and Resource Use & Waste (4/10, 4/10).
Where Primark 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 year-on-year fall in its total emissions.
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 falling5/10No evidence of a year-on-year fall in its total emissions.
- How clean its energy is5/10Less 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 water5/10No measured water footprint with reduction targets.
- Its climate targets7/10No validated long-term net zero target.
- How openly it reports8/10No mission-locked structure, such as B Corp certification.
- Its record on controversies5/10Points 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 Primark's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleHas Primark's score changed?
Primark's score has moved from 35 to 37 across 2 recorded reviews, up 2 points.
- 35 → 37+23 November 2026
Agent-mode re-score on Primark's EY-assured figures (6.04 Mt total); Q10 -2 for the Dutch advertising code committee ruling.
- Scored 358 February 2026
Initial score at platform launch
What evidence is Primark's score based on?
12 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
25% of them were published by Primark itself; the rest come from independent sources.
9 of 12 sources are independent of the company.
“we have surpassed the threshold of our 2030 SBTi-validated target to keep absolute Scope 1 and 2 (market-based) emissions”
“For the purpose of reporting against targets, Primark has been tracking Scope 2 (market-based) since 2023.”
“1,083 of Primark’s supplier facilities completed the Higg FEM self-assessment”
“Data Verification: A third-party review of the data is carried out along with multiple internal reviews before reporting the data externally”
“Discount fashion retailer reveals emissions cuts in 2024/2025 report, but scope 3 reduction lags behind 2030 target”
“Primark says scope 3 supply chain emissions were up by 11 per cent for 22/23 from a baseline year of 2018/19”
“achieved an overall 5.7 percent reduction in total greenhouse gas emissions compared to the 2019 baseline”
“Primark onvoldoende heeft onderbouwd dat in redelijkheid kan worden verwacht dat zij de uiting zal waarmaken”
“The advertising body also said that Primark’s aim to halve emissions is not backed up by any concrete steps.”
“The Board of Appeal said the claims made by Primark are not sufficiently substantiated.”
“Primark versieht Billigmode mit dem selbst erfundenen „Cares“-Label, das wie ein Nachhaltigkeitssiegel wirkt, aber ohne unabhängige Standards und entsprechende Kriterien auskommt.”
“accusing the retailer of greenwashing through its ‘Primark Cares’ label”
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
Is this your company? Claim this profile (free)
Use this score in tenders
Send the link, or the one-page score sheet. It links back to this page and every source. Free.
Open the score sheet →Send new evidence, free
Scored low because little is published? Publish what you do and send us the link, free. If it holds up, your score changes, and the change is logged on your page.
How to send evidence →Put your score on your website, free
It shows the current band, sector rank and score, and links to this page, so it changes when the score does.
Track this score
Bidding for a public contract? Check if you need a Carbon Reduction Plan, free →
Want your own page like this?
Free, independent, every source shown. Send it to any buyer who asks about your sustainability.
How does Primark compare with other apparel (fast fashion) companies?
Where Primark sits among apparel (fast fashion) peers.
Among the 18 major apparel (fast fashion) brands we've scored, Primark sits 2nd of 18.
Who scores higher in Apparel (Fast Fashion)?
The one company in the sector scoring above Primark.
See the full Apparel (Fast Fashion) table →Which companies moved this week, and why.
One email, every Sunday. Score changes, new research, the stories behind the numbers. Free.
We'll send one email to confirm. No spam. Unsubscribe in one click.
Checking a company?
Search free →Asked to prove you're sustainable?
Get your business scored, free →Been scored?
Find your page and claim it, free →Scores are free. Nobody can pay to change a score, speed it up or hide it.