Recently scored: Dentsu, Omnicom, Publicis Groupe, WPP
InterContinental Hotels Group·Hospitality / Hotels·Denham, United Kingdom·Founded 2003·Last verified 25 April 2026
37
out of 100
Below expectationsPending Review

IHG's absolute emissions have risen 7.7% since 2019 despite intensity improvements, putting the company far off its SBTi-validated 2030 target. The company has admitted publicly it will miss this goal and announced a target review for 2026. Rising absolute emissions, incomplete Scope 3 coverage, and franchise-model constraints make this a case of operational scale outpacing decarbonisation efforts.

The calculation

Every score shows its working.

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

SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale
Industry base impact
Hospitality / Hotels sector ceiling.
45 / 100
Performance score
Sum of the 10 rubric questions, scored 0–10 each.
45 / 100
Raw score
Weighted average before scale penalty.
(0.3 × 45) + (0.7 × 45) = 45.0
Scale penalty
Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.
× 0.82
Final score
Rounded. Below expectations.
37 / 100
The ten questions

Where InterContinental Hotels Group is strong, and where it isn't.

Strongest on Carbon Footprint — Operations and Transparency & Accountability (7/10, 7/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Targets & Commitments (1/10, 3/10).

Where the evidence comes from

Every document used, listed.

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

[1]Self-reported
2024 Responsible Business Report – IHG
2025
Q1Q7Q9
View →
[2]Third-party verified
Tracenable – IHG GHG Emissions Profile
Ongoing
Q1Q2
View →
[3]Self-reported
IHG 2024 CDP Questionnaire – Climate, Water, Forests
2024
Q2Q6
View →
[4]Public record
Skift – IHG Climate Target Review and Emissions Rise (March 2026)
2026
Q3Q8Q10
View →
[5]Third-party verified
CSO Futures – IHG Chief Sustainability Officer on 2030 Target Miss
Unknown
Q3Q8
View →
[6]Public record
Déplacements Pros – IHG Target Review (French source)
Unknown
Q3Q10
View →
[7]Self-reported
IHG Carbon & Energy Page
Ongoing
Q4
View →
[8]Self-reported
IHG Low Carbon Pioneers Programme Launch (July 2024)
2024
Q4
View →
[9]Self-reported
IHG Low Carbon Pioneers Update (2025)
2025
Q4
View →
[10]Self-reported
IHG Policies and Position Statements
Ongoing
Q5
View →
[11]Self-reported
IHG Environment Policy (2023)
2023
Q5
View →
[12]Self-reported
IHG Responsible Procurement Page
Ongoing
Q6
View →
[13]Third-party verified
IHG FY2024 Assurance Statement – ISAE 3000 (Water)
2025
Q7
View →
[14]Self-reported
IHG Water Stewardship Page
Ongoing
Q7
View →
[15]Third-party verified
Net Zero Tracker – IHG SBTi Status
Ongoing
Q8
View →
[16]Public record
marketscreener.com — Intercontinental Hotels 2024 Responsible Business Report 49183768
Unknown
Q9
View →
[17]Self-reported
ihgplc.com — responsible business
Unknown
Q9
View →
[18]Public record
OpenSecrets – IHG US Lobbying Spend
Ongoing
Q10
View →

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

InterContinental Hotels Group in context

Where InterContinental Hotels Group sits among hospitality / hotels peers.

Among the 9 major hospitality / hotels brands we've scored, InterContinental Hotels Group sits 8th of 9.

8/9
InterContinental Hotels Group's rank
44
Industry average
35
Industry low
56
Industry high
How this score has moved

InterContinental Hotels Group's score over time.

today

Score history begins 11 April 2026.

As InterContinental Hotels Group'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

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 InterContinental Hotels Group

InterContinental Hotels Group operates approximately 6,700 hotels across 100+ countries under brands including InterContinental, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, and Six Senses. As a primarily asset-light, franchise-based hotel operator, IHG manages or franchises properties but owns minimal real estate, creating structural limits on energy and operational control.

Founded
2003
Headquarters
Denham, United Kingdom
Employees
~375,000
Annual revenue
~$2.31B (fee revenue 2024)
Company website ↗
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