Wahaca sustainability score: 50/100
Leading practice starts at 60. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Wahaca is a 19-restaurant Mexican-inspired casual dining group founded in 2006 and headquartered in London. It operates across the UK with a focus on fresh, ethically sourced ingredients.
More about Wahaca
The brand positions sustainability as central to its identity, with certifications in carbon neutrality and sustainable seafood sourcing.
Founded 2006Head office London, UKStaff ~1,500Revenue ~£40MWebsite ↗
Wahaca has built a credible mid-scale sustainability programme with certified carbon neutrality since 2016, menu-wide carbon labelling, and strong waste diversion (86% recycling). But operational and supply chain emissions lack public quantification, net zero targets conflict, and there's no standalone impact report or board governance disclosure.
Wahaca scores 50/100 (Making progress) 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 Wahaca joint 155th of 1,023 companies scored, and 2nd of 53 in Food Service / Restaurants.
What is Wahaca doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Controversies & Red Flags and Energy Source (8/10, 7/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Carbon Footprint: Operations (3/10, 4/10).
Where Wahaca 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
- Whether its emissions are fallingShow its emissions are falling.
- Emissions from its own operationsPublish full Scope 1 and 2 figures worked out to the GHG Protocol.
- Emissions from its supply chainMeasure most of its supply-chain (Scope 3) emissions.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations4/10No full Scope 1 and 2 figures worked out to the GHG Protocol.
- Emissions from its supply chain4/10Most of its supply-chain (Scope 3) emissions aren't measured.
- Whether its emissions are falling3/10No evidence its emissions are falling.
- How clean its energy is7/10Less than 90% of its energy shown to be renewable.
- Its effect on nature5/10Its effect on nature isn't measured or independently verified.
- How it uses materials and handles waste7/10No verified figures for reuse and recycling across the business.
- Its effect on water4/10No measured water footprint with reduction targets.
- Its climate targets5/10Its targets aren't science-based or committed to the Science Based Targets initiative.
- How openly it reports5/10No dedicated sustainability role, board oversight or public report.
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 Wahaca's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleHas Wahaca's score changed?
Wahaca's score has been reviewed 2 times and currently stands where it started, at 50.
- 50 → 507 November 2026
Correction, 7 November 2026: removed an unsourced emissions figure. Score unchanged.
- Scored 509 April 2026
Initial score at platform launch
What evidence is Wahaca's score based on?
8 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
38% of them were published by Wahaca itself; the rest come from independent sources.
Scored on 9 April 2026 under an earlier version of our method. We're re-checking it under the current method.
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
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How does Wahaca compare with other food service / restaurants companies?
Where Wahaca sits among food service / restaurants peers.
Among the 53 major food service / restaurants brands we've scored, Wahaca sits 2nd of 53.
Who scores higher in Food Service / Restaurants?
The one company in the sector scoring above Wahaca.
See the full Food Service / Restaurants table →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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