Subway sustainability score: 21/100
Better than 2% of Food Service / Restaurants
Below expectations starts at 31. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Subway is a global quick-service restaurant chain founded in 1965, headquartered in Shelton, Connecticut. With approximately 37,000 locations across 100+ countries, it is one of the world's largest restaurant networks by unit count.
More about Subway
The chain serves customizable submarine sandwiches and operates primarily through a franchise model.
Founded 1965Head office Shelton, Connecticut, USAStaff ~10,000 corporate (+ ~400,000 franchise employees)Revenue ~$10B system-wide sales (2023)Website ↗
Subway has no emissions data, no climate targets, and no sustainability reporting despite operating ~37,000 restaurants globally. The company publishes only vague aspirational language while shifting accountability to franchisees. Animal welfare controversies and greenwashing complaints compound a record of near-total environmental opacity.
Subway scores 21/100 (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 May 2026.
That places Subway joint 960th of 1,023 companies scored, and 52nd of 53 in Food Service / Restaurants.
What is Subway doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Resource Use & Waste and Water Impact (3/10, 3/10). Weakest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Carbon Footprint: Supply Chain (1/10, 1/10).
Where Subway 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
- Emissions from its own operationsPublish emissions figures for its own operations, even an estimate from energy bills.
- Emissions from its supply chainAssess where its supply-chain emissions come from.
- Whether its emissions are fallingShow its emissions are falling, even from energy bills or mileage.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations1/10No emissions figures for its own operations, not even an estimate from energy bills.
- Emissions from its supply chain1/10No assessment of where its supply-chain emissions come from.
- Whether its emissions are falling1/10No evidence its emissions are falling, not even from energy bills or mileage.
- How clean its energy is2/10No renewable energy tariff or major efficiency investment shown.
- Its effect on nature2/10No assessment of its effect on nature, and no basic environmental policy.
- How it uses materials and handles waste3/10No active waste reduction, reuse or repair shown.
- Its effect on water3/10No monitoring of water use, or no measures to reduce it.
- Its climate targets1/10No emissions reduction targets.
- How openly it reports1/10No sustainability information published.
- 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 Subway's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleHas Subway's score changed?
Subway's score has been reviewed 2 times and currently stands where it started, at 21.
- 21 → 217 November 2026
Correction, 7 November 2026: removed an unsourced emissions figure. Score unchanged.
- Scored 218 February 2026
Initial score at platform launch
What evidence is Subway's score based on?
12 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
42% of them were published by Subway itself; the rest come from independent sources.
Scored on 4 April 2026 under an earlier version of our method. We're re-checking it under the current method.
7 of 12 sources are independent of the company.
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
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How does Subway compare with other food service / restaurants companies?
Where Subway sits among food service / restaurants peers.
Among the 53 major food service / restaurants brands we've scored, Subway sits 52nd of 53.
Who scores higher in Food Service / Restaurants?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Subway.
Burger King's sustainability performance is dominated by supply chain deforestation, greenwashing, and a beef-heavy business model that fundamentally conflicts with emissions reduction.
See the breakdown →Chick-fil-A operates 3,000+ restaurants generating $22.7B in systemwide sales with no disclosed emissions data, no science-based targets, and no renewable energy strategy beyond three pilot solar projects.
See the breakdown →Wingstop reports only Scope 1 and 2 emissions for its company-owned restaurants and head office (5,331 tCO2e in 2025), about 2% of its 3,056 restaurants, and no Scope 3, although chicken is 57% of its purchases.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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