Levi Strauss sustainability score: 45/100
Levi Strauss & Co. is a US-based apparel manufacturer founded in 1853, headquartered in San Francisco. Best known for durable denim jeans, the company operates a global supply chain spanning cotton cultivation, wet finishing, and retail.
More about Levi Strauss
A public company with annual revenues exceeding $5 billion, it competes in the premium casual wear segment.
Founded 1853Head office San Francisco, United StatesStaff ~16,600Revenue ~$6.0BWebsite ↗
Levi Strauss has built credible climate infrastructure—SBTi-validated targets, 81% Scope 1+2 reduction, 100% renewable electricity. But absolute emissions remain massive at 3.7M tonnes annually, Scope 3 reduction lags at 8% against 42% targets, and cotton-heavy supply chains still drive 97% of freshwater impact. Sustainability reporting lacks full third-party assurance.
Levi Strauss scores 45/100 (Below expectations) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Scores are free. Companies can never pay for anything about their own score. Last verified May 2026.
That places Levi Strauss joint 280th of 934 companies scored, and joint 18th of 43 in Apparel (Durable / Outdoor).
What is Levi Strauss doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Energy Source and Targets & Commitments (8/10, 8/10). Weakest on Nature & Biodiversity Impact and Emissions Trajectory (5/10, 6/10).
Where Levi Strauss lost points
For each question that lost points, the evidence our public rubric looks for that we didn't find.
- Emissions from its own operations7/10Its own emissions aren't independently verified or tracked over several years.
- Emissions from its supply chain7/10No full value-chain map or supplier engagement programme.
- Whether its emissions are falling6/10No consistent fall over several years across its operations and supply chain.
- How clean its energy is8/10Its own operations aren't shown to run on 100% renewable energy.
- 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 water6/10No water stewardship programme or verified fall in water use.
- Its climate targets8/10No validated long-term net zero target.
- How openly it reports6/10No annual impact report, or no pay linked to climate targets.
- Its record on controversies7/10Points 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 Levi Strauss's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleWhat evidence is Levi Strauss'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 Levi Strauss 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 Levi Strauss compare with other apparel (durable / outdoor) companies?
Where Levi Strauss sits among apparel (durable / outdoor) peers.
Among the 43 major apparel (durable / outdoor) brands we've scored, Levi Strauss is tied =18th of 43, with 3 others.
Who scores higher in Apparel (Durable / Outdoor)?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Levi Strauss.
Seasalt's footprint was 42,620 tCO2e in its 2024/25 year, more than 99% of it from its supply chain, and Which? reports that its total rose again in 2024 even though its own operations' emissions are 88% lower.
See the breakdown →Mulberry's footprint was 18,457 tCO2e in its year to March 2026, including the leather it buys, up 57% on the year as production rose and its calculation method changed.
See the breakdown →A.P.C. has validated SBTi targets and Deloitte-verified carbon data, but Scope 3 (99% of footprint) lacks quantified reduction goals.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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