Retail · 2026
What UK supermarkets ask drinks suppliers about carbon.
Last updated
The short answer
Every major UK supermarket has a net zero target that includes its suppliers’ emissions, and most now ask their biggest suppliers to set science-based targets. Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose and M&S all say so in public. Asda asks its highest-impact suppliers to share carbon data through EcoVadis. In practice a drinks supplier gets asked three things: your company footprint (Scope 1, 2 and 3), the footprint of the products you sell them, and your reduction target. The fastest way to answer is to have product-level footprints ready before the questionnaire arrives.
What each supermarket asks.
| Retailer | Its own net zero target | What it asks suppliers |
|---|---|---|
| Tesco | Own operations by 2035; whole value chain by 2050 (SBTi validated) | Suppliers to set science-based targets and move to net zero. Of its top 50 food and grocery suppliers, 60% have SBTi-validated targets |
| Sainsbury’s | Own operations by 2035; value chain by 2050 | Suppliers behind a large share of its Scope 3 to have approved science-based targets by the end of 2025, and to share site emissions through Manufacture 2030 and Higg |
| Asda | Net zero operational emissions by 2040 | Highest-impact suppliers (about 80% of its footprint) to share data through EcoVadis. Better finance rates for suppliers that score well (HSBC for import suppliers, Lloyds for UK suppliers) |
| Morrisons | Whole value chain by 2050, including farming (SBTi validated December 2025) | No specific supplier rule published. Says it will work with suppliers on its 2035 targets |
| Aldi UK | Not stated on the page we checked | Encourages suppliers behind 75% of its Scope 3 emissions to set 1.5°C science-based targets |
| Lidl GB | Net zero by 2050 | Strategic suppliers behind 75% of product Scope 3 to have SBTi-aligned targets by 2026. Works with Manufacture 2030 and Mondra on supplier data |
| Waitrose and John Lewis | Own operations by 2035; value chain by 2050 | Suppliers behind the largest share of emissions to set 1.5°C science-based targets. 51% of Waitrose purchased-goods emissions now come from suppliers with SBTi targets |
| M&S | Whole value chain by 2040 (Plan A) | Lists science-based targets aligned to net zero by 2040 among what it expects of suppliers |
| Co-op | Own operations by 2035; value chain by 2040 | Aims for suppliers covering 79% of its Scope 3 to be in the SBTi by the end of 2030 (about 47% today) |
Sources: each retailer’s own report, plan or press release, or The Grocer and Grocery Gazette where the retailer site could not be read. Full links below. Targets change each year; check the retailer’s latest report before you rely on a figure.
What this means for a drinks brand.
The rules above are aimed first at the biggest suppliers. A small brewery or distillery is unlikely to be told to set a science-based target this year. But the questions travel down the chain: buyers ask for carbon data at range reviews and tenders, and the platforms retailers use send questionnaires to smaller suppliers too.
- Your company footprint. Scope 1 (fuel you burn), Scope 2 (electricity you buy) and Scope 3 (everything else, including ingredients and packaging).
- Product footprints. The carbon footprint of each product you sell to that retailer, usually per unit or per litre.
- A target and a plan. Whether you have a reduction target, whether it is science-based, and what you are doing to meet it.
- Data through a platform. Some retailers collect data through a platform such as EcoVadis, Manufacture 2030 or Mondra rather than by email.
Note on Manufacture 2030
Manufacture 2030 now trades as Secaro. Tesco’s 2026 report says Tesco is no longer a member and will not take part in its 2026 campaign. Sainsbury’s and Lidl have both named it as a supplier data route.
How to answer a retailer’s carbon questionnaire.
- Measure your company footprint first, for a full year. Use real quantities (litres, kilograms, kilowatt hours), not money spent, wherever you can.
- Footprint the products the retailer buys. A per-unit figure for each SKU, built to ISO 14067, is what a buyer can compare.
- Keep your method consistent. Use the same boundary (for example cradle to grave) and the same year for every product, and say which you used.
- Set a target you can defend. If you are not ready for a validated science-based target, say what you will reduce and by when.
- Ask your own suppliers. Your Scope 3 is their footprint, so ask your ingredient and packaging suppliers for their data.
- Answer once, reuse often. Most retailer questions overlap with B Corp, EcoVadis and your own sustainability report. Hold the data in one place.
alkatera is built for this. It gives a drinks brand its company footprint and product footprints, per bottle, can or keg, from the same data. You can set reduction targets and check them against SBTi minimums, and ask your suppliers for data through a supplier portal. See how alkatera compares to Zevero or the best sustainability platforms for the drinks industry.
Frequently asked questions.
Do UK supermarkets require suppliers to report carbon emissions?
Increasingly, yes. Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Lidl, Waitrose, M&S and Co-op all ask their larger suppliers to set science-based targets, and Asda asks its highest-impact suppliers to share data through EcoVadis. Smaller suppliers are most often asked for a company footprint and product footprints during range reviews and tenders.
What is a science-based target?
A target to cut emissions in line with what climate science says is needed to limit warming, usually to 1.5°C. The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) checks and validates them.
What carbon data does a supermarket buyer ask a drinks brand for?
Usually three things: your company footprint across Scope 1, 2 and 3; the carbon footprint of each product they stock, per unit or per litre; and whether you have a reduction target and plan.
How can a small drinks brand answer a retailer carbon questionnaire?
Measure a full year of company emissions, footprint the products the retailer buys, and keep one consistent method. Software built for drinks, such as alkatera, produces both the company footprint and per-product footprints from the same data, from £99 a month.
Sources.
Checked on 7 November 2026.
- Tesco Sustainability Report 2026 (p.16)
- Sainsbury’s: emission targets validated by SBTi (15 March 2024)
- Grocery Gazette: Asda targets and EcoVadis (21 March 2024)
- The Grocer: Asda sustainability-linked supplier finance with HSBC (26 September 2024)
- Grocery Gazette: Asda and Lloyds scheme for UK suppliers (22 August 2025)
- Morrisons: new SBTi validation (12 December 2025)
- Aldi UK: carbon reduction
- Lidl GB: net zero by 2050 (2 October 2024)
- John Lewis Partnership: climate action
- M&S: Plan A
- Grocery Gazette: Co-op credit facility and supplier SBTi target (2 December 2024)
- The Grocer: Co-op net zero goals validated (28 March 2024)
Be ready before the questionnaire arrives.
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