Beiersdorf sustainability score: 45/100
Making progress starts at 46. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Is this your company? Claim this profile (free)
Buying from companies like this? Check 5 of your suppliers free
Beiersdorf makes skin and body care products under the NIVEA, Eucerin and La Prairie brands, and adhesive tapes through tesa SE, a wholly-owned subsidiary it has run as a separate subgroup since 2001. In 2025 its Consumer segment had €8,176 million of sales and tesa €1,676 million.
More about Beiersdorf
Beiersdorf AG is registered in Hamburg, and its parent company, maxingvest GmbH & Co. KGaA, includes it in its consolidated accounts. It had 22,399 employees (headcount) at 31 December 2025 and €9,852 million group sales in 2025.
Head office Hamburg, GermanyStaff 22,399 headcount at 31 December 2025 (average during 2025: 22,401 headcount)Revenue ~€9.85B group sales (€9,852M, 2025)Website ↗
Beiersdorf's footprint was 1,954,398 tCO2e in 2025 (market-based), covering Scope 1, Scope 2 and the Scope 3 categories it counts as significant, down from 2,111,655 t in 2024. It does not report emissions from people using its products. It reports 100% renewable purchased electricity, but 63% of that is unbundled certificates bought apart from the power. SBTi validated its absolute 2030 targets and its 2045 net-zero target, set against 2018. It cut fossil virgin plastic in Consumer packaging by 63% against 2018, but most tesa tapes cannot be recycled. In 2023 it gave a penalty-backed cease-and-desist declaration in Deutsche Umwelthilfe's case over 'climate neutral' advertising; there was no ruling.
Beiersdorf scores 45/100 (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 Beiersdorf joint 307th of 1,118 companies scored, and joint 8th of 60 in FMCG / Consumer Goods.
What is Beiersdorf doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Targets & Commitments (8/10, 8/10). Weakest on Energy Source and Nature & Biodiversity Impact (4/10, 5/10).
Where Beiersdorf 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 isShow at least half its energy is renewable, with a transition plan.
- Its effect on natureMeasure its effect on nature and have it independently verified.
- Its effect on waterMeasure its water footprint and set reduction targets.
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 falling7/10No consistent fall over several years across its operations and supply chain.
- How clean its energy is4/10Less than half its energy shown to be renewable, or no transition plan.
- Its effect on nature5/10Its effect on nature isn't measured or independently verified.
- How it uses materials and handles waste6/10No verified figures for reuse and recycling across the business.
- Its effect on water5/10No measured water footprint with reduction targets.
- Its climate targets8/10No validated long-term net zero target.
- How openly it reports8/10No mission-locked structure, such as B Corp certification.
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 Beiersdorf's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleWhat evidence is Beiersdorf'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 Beiersdorf itself; the rest come from independent sources.
7 of 12 sources are independent of the company.
“60,547”
“nothing has come to our attention that causes us to believe that the accompanying Combined Non-Financial Reporting”
“approximately 69% of the palm-based raw material volume from palm (kernel) oil mills in the two main countries of origin”
“With a 63% reduction in fossil virgin plastics in our packaging, we exceeded our target by the end of 2025.”
“We do not discharge untreated wastewater into the environment, and we strive to reuse treated wastewater for cooling, irrigation, or sanitation”
“The sustainability performance criteria are directly linked to the materiality assessments used by Beiersdorf as a strategic instrument”
“Nivea receives a top rating in the Environmental Report criterion.”
“A German NGO specialising in environmental litigation has launched legal action against Nivea maker Beiersdorf”
“Die Beiersdorf AG hat vor dem Landgericht Hamburg am 23. Mai 2023 eine strafbewährte Unterlassungserklärung abgegeben”
“By submitting the declaration, Beiersdorf preempted a court ruling that was expected to uphold three of the four claims in the lawsuit.”
“Bei allen 4 konnte nicht im Detail nachvollzogen werden, wie und im welchem Umfang CO2 eingespart oder kompensiert wurde.”
“Die Beiersdorf AG und die Drogeriemarktkette dm haben Unterlassungserklärungen bezüglich der Bewerbung von vermeintlich klimaneutralen Produkten abgegeben.”
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 Beiersdorf compare with other fmcg / consumer goods companies?
Where Beiersdorf sits among fmcg / consumer goods peers.
Among the 60 major fmcg / consumer goods brands we've scored, Beiersdorf is tied =8th of 60, with 1 other.
Who scores higher in FMCG / Consumer Goods?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Beiersdorf.
Neal's Yard Remedies demonstrates genuine operational sustainability—renewable energy, organic sourcing, biodiversity advocacy—but relies on carbon offsets rather than absolute emissions reductions and publishes no quantified footprint data.
See the breakdown →L'Oréal has cut operational emissions 51% since 2019 and reached 97% renewable energy, but total emissions rose above 2019 baseline due to Scope 3 increases.
See the breakdown →Natura &Co demonstrates strong biodiversity leadership and transparent climate accountability, having exceeded its 2030 Scope 1&2 target early.
See the breakdown →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.