Carbon Footprint — Operations: How does Tim Hortons score?

Tim Hortons does not publish standalone Scope 1 or Scope 2 emissions data. Parent company RBI reports consolidated emissions across all four brands (Tim Hortons, Burger King, Popeyes, Firehouse Subs) via GHG Protocol methodology, but Tim Hortons-specific operational emissions figures are not broken out. RBI's 2024 report states it follows the GHG Protocol and calculates Scope 1 & 2 annually, but the brand-level operational breakdown is not publicly available. With 6,043 restaurants globally, sig

Carbon Footprint — Supply Chain: How does Tim Hortons score?

RBI reports consolidated Scope 3 emissions of 28,937,358 tonnes CO2e for 2024 across all four brands, with Purchased Goods & Services at 81.7% (23.6M tonnes), largely driven by beef (48% of inventory). Tim Hortons' specific share is not broken out. RBI follows GHG Protocol and quantifies 15 Scope 3 categories, including franchises (4.67M tonnes). The supply chain is complex and global — coffee from Latin America and Africa, beef, dairy, packaging — but the reporting is at the RBI group level onl

Emissions Trajectory: How does Tim Hortons score?

RBI reports a 3.7% decrease in Scope 3 emissions compared to its 2022 baseline. However, the Scope 3 reduction target is intensity-based (50% per unit of revenue by 2030), not absolute. RBI is actively growing — targeting 40,000+ restaurants and $60B in system-wide sales by 2028 — meaning absolute emissions could rise even as intensity improves. Tim Hortons itself grew from ~5,700 to 6,043 units during recent years. The company is re-baselining its SBTi targets after the Firehouse Subs acquisiti

Energy Source: How does Tim Hortons score?

RBI's 2023 report states it is procuring about 99% electricity from renewable energy for corporate-owned and directly controlled facilities globally, including through the purchase of RECs and a green utility program in Switzerland. However, corporate-owned facilities represent a small fraction of Tim Hortons' footprint — the vast majority of Tim Hortons' 6,043 restaurants are franchise-operated and their energy sourcing is not covered by this claim. No evidence of PPA or on-site generation at s

Nature & Biodiversity Impact: How does Tim Hortons score?

RBI has a forest commitment covering priority commodities: palm oil, fiber-based packaging, soy in poultry feed, beef, and coffee. Tim Hortons partners with Enveritas to verify 100% of its coffee purchases under social, economic, and environmental standards that guarantee no deforestation. As of end 2022, 93% of RBI's fibre-based packaging came from recycled or certified sources. RBI is a founding member of the CDP Supply Chain – Forests program. However, World Benchmark Alliance's 2023 Nature B

Resource Use & Waste: How does Tim Hortons score?

Tim Hortons has taken steps on packaging: phasing out plastic straws (saving 300M straws), paper-based wrappers (reducing 460 tonnes plastic/year), 100% recycled fibre napkins (saving 900 tonnes paper/year), and piloting reusable cup programs. RBI is tracking toward a 10% reduction in virgin plastic content by 2026. However, Greenpeace's brand audit identified Tim Hortons as the second biggest generator of plastic litter in Canada. Environmental Defence placed Tim Hortons on its 'Plastic Wall of

Water Impact: How does Tim Hortons score?

No current quantified water footprint data is published for Tim Hortons or RBI at scale. Historical data from Tim Hortons' Fruition manufacturing facility showed a 21% water reduction between 2011 and 2014, and the Enviro-Stewards project reduced sewer discharge loading by 80%. Tim Hortons' 2014 sustainability report referenced corporate office water reduction goals. New restaurant design standards mention water use reduction. However, coffee production is notoriously water-intensive (estimated

Targets & Commitments: How does Tim Hortons score?

RBI set SBTi-approved targets in 2021 to reduce GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 (from 2019 baseline) and achieve net zero by 2050. The Scope 3 target is intensity-based (per $ of system-wide sales), not absolute, which is a significant limitation per rubric. RBI is currently re-baselining its targets after the Firehouse Subs acquisition and Carrols integration, creating uncertainty about target validity. World Benchmark Alliance notes that the Scope 3 intensity target is aligned with 1.5°C, but the

Transparency & Accountability: How does Tim Hortons score?

RBI publishes annual Restaurant Brands for Good reports, discloses through CDP, follows GRI, SASB, and TCFD frameworks. RBI was named to the Dow Jones Best-in-Class North America Index for three consecutive years. A Head of Global Sustainability is appointed. However, Tim Hortons does not publish its own standalone sustainability report — all data is at the RBI group level, making brand-specific accountability difficult. World Benchmark Alliance notes that RBI lacks executive remuneration links

Controversies & Red Flags: How does Tim Hortons score?

Starting at 8: Tim Hortons has faced multiple credible environmental criticisms. Greenpeace Canada identified Tim Hortons as the second biggest generator of plastic litter in Canada (2018, 2019 brand audits) — deduct 2. Environmental Defence placed Tim Hortons on its 'Plastic Wall of Shame' for increasing plastic content in lids by 59%. Globe and Mail published greenwashing criticism of Roll Up the Rim changes. CBC Marketplace investigation revealed recycling bins contents were sent to landfill.

Tim Hortons Sustainability Score: 28/100

Recently scored: Dentsu, Omnicom, Publicis Groupe, WPP

507 companies scored·4 score updates this week

Tim Hortons·Food Service / Restaurants·Oakville, Canada·Founded 1964·Last verified 25 April 2026

out of 100

Significant gapsPending Review

Tim Hortons hides behind parent company RBI's group-level reporting, obscuring brand-specific environmental accountability. Plastic waste dominance (second biggest litter generator in Canada), unquantified operational and supply-chain emissions, and intensity-based rather than absolute reduction targets reveal a company managing perception rather than impact.

No challenges currently filed

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

Food Service / Restaurants sector ceiling.

45 / 100

Performance score

Sum of the 10 rubric questions, scored 0–10 each.

37 / 100

Raw score

Weighted average before scale penalty.

(0.3 × 45) + (0.7 × 37) = 39.4

Scale penalty

Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.

× 0.7

Final score

Rounded. Significant gaps.

28 / 100

The ten questions

Where Tim Hortons is strong, and where it isn't.

Strongest on Targets & Commitments and Transparency & Accountability (5/10, 5/10). Weakest on Water Impact and Resource Use & Waste (2/10, 3/10).

Where the evidence comes from

Every document used, listed.

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

[1]Self-reported

Restaurant Brands International – Climate Action

Ongoing

Q1Q3Q8

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[2]Self-reported

Restaurant Brands International 2024 For-Good Report

2025

Q1Q2Q3

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[3]Self-reported

Restaurant Brands International – 2024 Sustainability News Release

2024

View →

[4]Self-reported

Restaurant Brands International – Forest Commitment

Ongoing

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[5]Third-party verified

World Benchmark Alliance – Nature Benchmark: RBI Profile

2023

Q5Q7Q9

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[6]Self-reported

Tim Hortons Sustainability Initiatives

Ongoing

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[7]Third-party verified

Environmental Defence – Plastic Wall of Shame

2020

Q6Q10

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[8]Third-party verified

Greenpeace Canada – Plastic Pollution Brand Audit

2019

Q6Q10

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[9]Third-party verified

Clean50 – Enviro-Stewards: Tim Hortons Waste Discharge Reduction

Unknown

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[10]Third-party verified

World Benchmark Alliance – Food & Agriculture Benchmark: RBI Profile

Unknown

View →

[11]Self-reported

Restaurant Brands International – Policies and Reports

Ongoing

View →

[12]Public record

OpenSecrets – RBI Lobbying Disclosure

2024

Q10

View →

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

Tim Hortons in context

Where Tim Hortons sits among food service / restaurants peers.

Among the 46 major food service / restaurants brands we've scored, Tim Hortons sits 34th of 46.

34/46

Tim Hortons's rank

Industry average

Industry low

Industry high

8Beefeater (Whitbread PLC)

9Wagamama

10Greggs

11Chipotle Mexican Grill

12Toby Carvery

13Domino's Pizza, Inc.

14Pret A Manger

15Costa Coffee

16Nando's

17The Wendy's Company

18Tortilla Mexican Grill

33Gourmet Burger Kitchen

36Itsu

41Dunkin'

42Papa John's International

43Burger King

44Chick-fil-A

45Subway

46Five Guys Enterprises

How this score has moved

Tim Hortons's score over time.

Score history begins 5 April 2026.

As Tim Hortons'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 Tim Hortons

Tim Hortons is Canada's largest quick-service restaurant chain, serving coffee and food across 6,043 locations globally. Owned by Restaurant Brands International (also parent to Burger King and Popeyes), it operates predominantly through franchises and generates over 5 million daily transactions.

Founded

1964

Headquarters

Oakville, Canada

Employees

~100,000

Annual revenue

~$4B

Company website ↗

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