Waitrose & Partners is a UK food retailer owned by the John Lewis Partnership, operating over 370 supermarkets and employing 150,000 people.
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Waitrose has strong science-based climate targets and operational emissions reductions, but Scope 3—98% of its footprint—remains largely unmapped and unquantified. Supply chain data gaps, greenwashing accusations over scallop sourcing and Leckford Estate claims, and misaligned trade association membership undermine credibility.
Waitrose & Partners scores 42/100 (Below expectations) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Fees pay for the review, never the result. Last verified May 2026.
That places Waitrose & Partners joint 317th of 847 companies scored, and joint 17th of 48 in Retail (non-fashion).
Where Waitrose & Partners sits among retail (non-fashion) peers.
Among the 48 major retail (non-fashion) brands we've scored, Waitrose & Partners is tied =17th of 48, with 3 others.
Its three lowest-scoring questions, and what the evidence didn't show.
Scope 3 comprises 98% of JLP's emissions (~9.76m tCO₂e estimated), but published figures (~14,428 tCO₂e) cover only partial categories.
No quantified operational water consumption or reduction targets with verified data.
However, 2023/24 Annual Report explicitly states 'purchased less than 100% renewable electricity' due to cost pressures.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Evidence that isn't public can count through an evidence review.
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Get in touch →Strongest on Targets & Commitments and Carbon Footprint — Operations (7/10, 6/10). Weakest on Carbon Footprint — Supply Chain and Water Impact (4/10, 4/10).
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Waitrose & Partners.
Kingfisher has reduced operational emissions 66% since 2016/17 and sourced 95% of electricity from zero-carbon sources, but Scope 3 coverage remains partial—only 2 of 15 categories disclosed.
See the breakdown →Currys reports KPMG-assured Scope 1 and 2 emissions, flat year on year and 35% below 2019/20, and a full Scope 3 inventory: total emissions rose 4% to 9.17 Mt as purchased-goods emissions grew, and Scope 3 is over 99% of the footprint.
See the breakdown →Halfords has published SBTi-aligned targets but is moving backwards: Scope 1+2 emissions rose 8.5% year-on-year, renewable electricity remains at zero, and Scope 3 is unmeasured despite dominating the footprint.
See the breakdown →The formula and all 19 sources.
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale19 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
10 of 19 sources are independent of the company.
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
Waitrose & Partners is a UK food retailer owned by the John Lewis Partnership, operating over 370 supermarkets and employing 150,000 people. It sells groceries, clothing, and homeware across the United Kingdom and is positioned as a premium, values-led brand emphasizing quality and ethical sourcing.
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