SHEIN·Apparel (Fast Fashion)·Singapore·Founded 2008·Last verified 25 July 2026
15
out of 100
Critical concernPending Review-1 since last reviewStrong evidence· 12 src

SHEIN scores 15/100 (Critical concern) on SINK's independent climate assessment — scored from public data only, no company payment can change a number. Last verified July 2026.

That places SHEIN joint 587th of 596 companies scored, and 14th of 17 in Apparel (Fast Fashion).

SHEIN's absolute emissions rose 57% in two years while claiming climate targets. Scope 3 dominates at 99%+ of footprint and increased 170% in two years. Italian and French regulators fined the company for greenwashing. Systemic nature damage from 81.5% synthetic fibres with no mitigation strategy.

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This score is built from public data only. If your practice is stronger than your disclosure, submit evidence for review — or challenge any question, free.

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The calculation

How is SHEIN's SINK score calculated?

Same formula for every company. No curve. No private weighting.

SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale
Industry base impact
Apparel (Fast Fashion) sector ceiling.
15 / 100
Performance score
Sum of the 10 rubric questions, scored 0–10 each.
25 / 100
Raw score
Weighted average before scale penalty.
(0.3 × 15) + (0.7 × 25) = 22.0
Scale penalty
Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.
× 0.7
Final score
Rounded. Critical concern.
15 / 100
The ten questions

What is SHEIN doing well, and where does it fall short?

Strongest on Carbon Footprint — Operations and Targets & Commitments (4/10, 4/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Nature & Biodiversity Impact (0/10, 1/10).

Where the evidence comes from

What evidence is SHEIN's score based on?

12 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which rubric questions it informed.

Scored as the global SHEIN ultra-fast-fashion operating business. Corporate structure is deliberately opaque: ultimate parent is Roadget Business Pte. Ltd (Singapore-incorporated); operations are China-centric (originally Nanjing). The entity scored is the operating brand as a whole; financials are reported estimates, not filed accounts.

11 of 12 sources are third-party verified or public record.

[1]Self-reported
SHEIN's 2024 Sustainability and Social Impact Report

about 51% of our directly sourced printed fabrics were produced using Digital Thermal Transfer Printing... saving 550,000 cubic metres of water

2025
Q1Q4Q6Q7Q8Q9
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[2]Third-party verified
Stand.earth 2025 Fossil Free Fashion Scorecard — SHEIN

SHEIN received failing marks in all categories except the one relating to climate commitments and transparency.

2025
Q2Q3Q5Q10
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[3]Public record
Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) Press Release PS12709 — SHEIN Greenwashing Fine

Statements by Shein about its intention to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030... were even contradicted by an actual increase in Shein's greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 and 2024.

2025
Q8Q10
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[4]Third-party verified
EU Fact Check: SHEIN Environmental Footprint Assessment

In 2024, the data were fully externally audited for the first time and verified by Bureau Veritas.

Unknown
Q1Q7
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[5]Public record
Sustainability Magazine: SHEIN's 2024 Environmental Impact

Its Scope 1 fossil fuel combustion emissions increased by 94.3%

2024
Q1Q4Q6
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[6]Public record
Earth.org: Fast Fashion Giant SHEIN's Emissions Balloon in 2024

Supply chain emissions represented the largest share... at 11,201,419 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (mtCO2e), a 9.7% jump

2024
Q2
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[7]Public record
Impakter: SHEIN Carbon Emissions Skyrocket 2024 Spike Analysis

Shein's 2024 sustainability report indicated that the company generated 26,201,440 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in 2024, a 23.1% increase

2024
Q3
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[8]Public record
Carbon Credits: Can Fast Fashion Go Green — SHEIN's Net Zero Ambitions Under Scrutiny

They rose from 9.17 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO₂e) in 2022 to 16.68 Mt CO₂e in 2023. That's an 81% increase in just one year.

Unknown
Q3
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[9]Third-party verified
Changing Markets Foundation: Faster Fashion — Growing Use of Polluting Textiles

Fast fashion leader SHEIN declared the highest ratio of synthetic to natural fibres, with four fifths (81%) of its vast material output made from fossil sources.

Unknown
Q5Q6
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[10]Public record
Institute of Sustainability Studies: SHEIN Greenwashing Leads to €1.16M Fine

This fine follows a €40 million penalty from France's consumer authority earlier this year over deceptive discounting and environmental claims.

2025
Q10
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[11]Third-party verified
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre: SHEIN Briefing 2024

Shein has faced allegations of sourcing cotton from farms linked to state-imposed forced labour

2024
Q10
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[12]Public record
Sustainability Certified Magazine: Fast Fashion Under Fire — SHEIN Accused of Wilful Ignorance

Instead of offering transparent answers, Zhu repeatedly avoided confirming or denying the company's use of Xinjiang cotton.

Unknown
Q9
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If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.

SHEIN in context

How does SHEIN compare with other apparel (fast fashion) companies?

Where SHEIN sits among apparel (fast fashion) peers.

Among the 17 major apparel (fast fashion) brands we've scored, SHEIN sits 14th of 17.

14/17
SHEIN's rank
25
Industry average
8
Industry low
40
Industry high
How this score has moved

Has SHEIN's score changed?

today

Score history begins 8 February 2026.

As SHEIN's score updates, the trajectory will appear here.

We're backfilling historical scores for FTSE 100 and S&P 100 companies over the coming weeks.

What's being contested

Has SHEIN's score been challenged?

This score is not currently being contested.

Every challenge is published. We'd rather be corrected than wrong — that's the whole point.

No challenges submitted yet. If you have evidence that contradicts this score, you can challenge any question above — cite a public source and we'll review it.

About SHEIN

SHEIN is a Chinese-owned fast-fashion e-commerce platform founded in 2008, headquartered in Singapore, with over 7,000 suppliers primarily in China. Known for ultra-low-cost clothing with rapid inventory turnover—thousands of new styles weekly. The company operates a peer-to-peer resale platform (SHEIN Exchange) and serves over 300 million users globally, positioning itself as the world's largest online-only fast-fashion retailer by order volume.

Founded
2008
Headquarters
Singapore
Employees
~16,000
Annual revenue
~$38B (FY2024, widely reported; private - unaudited)
Company website ↗
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