Essity sustainability score: 40/100
Making progress starts at 46. The highest score on SINK is 71.
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Essity makes hygiene and health products, including incontinence products, feminine and baby care, consumer tissue, professional hygiene products and medical solutions, under brands such as TENA and Tork. In 2025 its Health & Medical segment brought in SEK 27,468 million, Consumer Goods SEK 75,095 million and Professional Hygiene SEK 35,904 million.
More about Essity
Essity Aktiebolag (publ) is a Swedish public limited company with its registered office in Stockholm, and its shares trade on Nasdaq Stockholm. It had an average of 34,362 employees and SEK 138,494 million net sales in 2025.
Head office Stockholm, SwedenStaff ~34,362 average employees (2025, average of part-time and full-time employees over five quarters)Revenue ~SEK 138.5B net sales (SEK 138,494M, 2025)Website ↗
Essity's footprint was 9,093,000 tCO2e (market-based) in 2025, up slightly from 9,071 kt in 2024, as Scope 3 rose while Scope 1 and 2 fell; the end-of-life of products it sells accounts for 2,169 kt. Most of the fuel it burns is natural gas (5.8 TWh of 7.0 TWh), and the electricity it buys with guarantee-of-origin certificates earns no credit. SBTi validated its absolute targets: 35% cuts in Scope 1 and 2 and in its main Scope 3 categories by 2030 from 2016, and net zero by 2050. Progress is 27% for Scope 1 and 2 but only 15% for Scope 3. 99.7% of the fresh fibre it sourced in 2025 was FSC or PEFC certified.
Essity scores 40/100 (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 Essity joint 464th of 1,118 companies scored, and joint 24th of 60 in FMCG / Consumer Goods.
What is Essity doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Targets & Commitments (8/10, 8/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Energy Source (0/10, 3/10).
Where Essity 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.
- How clean its energy isMove to a renewable energy tariff or make a major efficiency investment.
- Its effect on natureMeasure its effect on nature and have it independently verified.
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 falling0/10No evidence its emissions are falling.
- How clean its energy is3/10No renewable energy tariff or major efficiency investment shown.
- Its effect on nature5/10Its effect on nature isn't measured or independently verified.
- How it uses materials and handles waste5/10No measurable waste or recycling targets reported publicly.
- 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 Essity's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleWhat evidence is Essity's score based on?
13 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
54% of them were published by Essity itself; the rest come from independent sources.
“Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions 1,215 1,230 1,239 1,365 1,371 1,538”
“The reported 2025 outcome is a 27% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions and a 15% reduction in Scope 3 emissions.”
“The reported 2025 outcome is 99.7%.”
“Our target is that 100% of production waste will be subject to material or energy recovery by 2030. The reported 2025 outcome is 72%.”
“Our target is that 85% of packaging is manufactured from renewable and/or recycled material. The reported 2025 outcome is 81%.”
“The reported 2025 outcome is a 12% reduction.”
“Scope 3 targets apply to purchased raw materials, branded packaging, transportation and waste from products after use.”
“The validation applies to all near- and long-term targets in Scope 1, 2, and 3.”
“Essity received 40 points for 45% of its total fibre being recycled fibre.”
“cut the amount of recycled paper in its products from 2.1m tonnes in 2018 (40%) to 1.9m tonnes in 2022 (36%)”
“Essity is sourcing pulp from companies that are continuing to expand their logging operations into critical areas of forests that are vital for biodiversity.”
“Cushelle gets a top rating for its Environmental Report”
“Both Kimberly-Clark and Essity were found to be involved in animal testing, workers’ rights abuses and poor environmental practices.”
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
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How does Essity compare with other fmcg / consumer goods companies?
Where Essity sits among fmcg / consumer goods peers.
Among the 60 major fmcg / consumer goods brands we've scored, Essity is tied =24th of 60, with 2 others.
Who scores higher in FMCG / Consumer Goods?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Essity.
Colgate-Palmolive has validated net-zero targets and strong renewable energy procurement, but emissions are rising in absolute terms and supply chain reductions are severely lagging.
See the breakdown →Games Workshop reports Scope 1 and 2 emissions 69% below its FY2021/22 baseline, surpassing its 55%-by-2032 target.
See the breakdown →BAT reports comprehensive operational emissions data with third-party assurance, yet Scope 3 lags by a year and remains massive at 5.5Mt.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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