Target
American chain retailer selling in store and online
Target's Sustainability Rating
Poor
Sourcing & Stocking
Environmentally-mindful sourcing and stocking commitments?: No
Promotes collections that help consumers make conscious decisions?: Has a collection but doesn't promote it well
These collections include: low or no plastic, other
Stocks any Commons top-rated sustainable brands? (proportion of rateable categories): Yes - many
Has targets to improve its sourcing for owned-brand products?: Yes - but only partial coverage
On track for these targets?: Yes - for some
Certifications for owned-brands and products?: Yes
These certifications include: FSC, RSPO, MSC and ASC (seafood), Fair Trade USA, Better Cotton Initiative
Packaging & Plastics
Heavy reliance on virgin petro plastic?: Yes
Shares info on ecommerce packaging?: No / not found
Shares info on in-store and upstream packaging?: Yes - but reporting could be improved
Shares info on own-brand packaging?: Yes - but reporting could be improved
Petro-based plastics in packaging?: Yes - but working to reduce
Recycled plastic?: Partially Recycled
Uses environmentally-mindful materials (non-plastic) in packaging?: Yes
These materials include ones that are: recyclable
Targets for improving its packaging materials?: Yes - and reports on progress
Initiatives to reduce packaging volume / intensity?: Yes - vague / limited
Plastic waste reduction through partnerships?: Yes: Ellen MacArthur Foundation, REPREVE, and others
Energy & Water Use
Uses renewable energy in its supply chain and/or offices?: Yes - Majority (>50%)
Uses renewable energy in its stores?: Yes - majority (>50%)
Targets for increasing renewable energy?: Yes - specifics shared
On track for these targets?: Yes
Energy efficiency measures?: Yes - thorough
Water conservation measures?: Yes - specifics shared
Refrigerant management strategy?: Yes - specifics shared
Efforts to lower shipping emissions (e.g. EVs)?: No / not found
Any EPA GreenChill certified stores?: Some
Waste Reduction
Alt models to promote consumer reuse and recycling?: More than one model
Packaging disposal guidance?: No / not found
Corporate waste reduction initiatives?: Other (incl general reducing landfill waste)
Corporate waste reporting?: Yes - thorough / all
Food waste reduction initiatives?: Yes - thorough
Food waste reporting?: Yes - thorough
Slow Consumption
Promotes overconsumption?: Yes
Methods of promoting overconsumption: Promoting micro-trends, Incentivizes impulse purchases (e.g. one-click ordering)
Marketing
Commons is still evaluating this brand's marketing emails.
Transparency & Reporting
Sustainability page on consumer site?: Yes - footer
Voluntary annual sustainability report?: Yes
Last published: 2025
Emissions Tracking
Reports its emissions?: Yes
Breakdown in CO2e?: Yes
Last reported in: 2024
Estimated emissions footprint: 73734093 tons CO2e
Scope 1+2 emissions intensity compared to industry / competitor average: Average
Targets & Offsets
Science-aligned emissions reduction targets?: Yes - science-aligned
Target timeframe: Long-term (10+ years)
Reports progress?: Yes - on track for some
Climate neutral certification?: No
Offsets emissions?: Yes - unknown proportion/scope
Supply Chain & Labor
Publishes supplier information for owned production?: Yes - names & locations
Publishes supplier code of conduct?: Yes
Code of conduct: disallows unauthorized subcontracting, prohibits forced labor, prohibits child labor, establishes grievance mechanisms
Code of conduct does not sufficiently: ensure the right to collective bargaining, ensure a living wage, include environmental clauses
Code of Conduct covers all applicable suppliers (own-production and stocked-brand)?: Yes
Labor certifications in supply chain?: No
3rd-party criticisms of supply chain or labor conditions?: Yes - few
Advocacy
Discloses all trade association memberships?: Yes
Climate-obstructive trade association memberships: 3 - Business Roundtable, CalChamber, likely The U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Pro-climate advocacy memberships?: No
Employs state lobbyists?: Yes
Percentage of lobbyists that are fossil-fuel aligned: Low 1-6%
Donated more than $100k to any candidates or PACs from 2018-2024?: Yes
Amount donated: $500k-1M
How much more was given to obstructive candidates/PACs?: ~5% more
Target has some sustainability efforts and disclosures, but the level of progress and reporting detail is below what we expect from a brand of its size.
Target is holding back government climate action through its money and influence. It has donated $717,400 to climate-obstructive candidates or PACs since 2018, and it's a member of three obstructive trade associations. However, it has also donated nearly the same amount of money to pro-climate candidates and PACs.
A large portion of the environmental impact of purchases made at retailers comes from upstream decisions on sourcing materials and ingredients. Retailers are responsible for these decisions for their whitelabel brands, but can also push change by highlighting sustainable options from other brands. Target has product collections that are environmentally-mindful, but it doesn’t promote them to consumers well. The company has goals to improve sourcing for its whitelabel products, but is only on track to hit some of these targets.
Target uses a majority of renewable energy in its supply chain, offices, and stores. It publicly shares its emissions measurements and has science-aligned reduction targets. The company is on track to reach some of its targets.
However, it relies on primarily virgin materials for its whitelabel and in-store packaging. Target does have targets for improving its packaging materials, but it’s not on track to hit them. The company doesn’t share enough about its packaging materials for online orders. We assume it still relies on virgin plastic, which contributes greatly to waste production and excess energy use.
Target encourages overconsumption, which contributes to excessive landfill waste and energy use, and has widespread impacts on the environment. It offers resale goods, but doesn’t report on the efficacy of this program. It also offers in-store recycling stations and utilizes some of the recaptured materials in its whitelabel products. It has initiatives to reduce food waste and waste from corporate operations, and provides detailed reporting on both.
Our ratings are based on a scale from 1 (harmful) to 5 (best). How we rate →
https://www.target.com/c/target-zero/-/N-hnosx https://www.target.com/c/target-clean/-/N-p4n12
https://corporate.target.com/sustainability-governance/circularity
https://corporate.target.com/getmedia/61bfcb36-0a4e-4755-98bf-9c545bb5300d/2024-Sustainability-and-Governance-Report-Appendix.pdf https://corporate.target.com/sustainability-governance/responsible-resource-use
https://corporate.target.com/getmedia/61bfcb36-0a4e-4755-98bf-9c545bb5300d/2024-Sustainability-and-Governance-Report-Appendix.pdf
https://corporate.target.com/sustainability-governance/responsible-resource-use
https://corporate.target.com/sustainability-governance/responsible-resource-use/plastics
https://corporate.target.com/getmedia/391e0902-54da-4a88-9325-4fa0098c2665/2025-Sustainability-and-Governance-Report.pdf
https://corporate.target.com/sustainability-governance/climate#2023_goal_progress
https://corporate.target.com/getmedia/391e0902-54da-4a88-9325-4fa0098c2665/2025-Sustainability-and-Governance-Report.pdf#page=8&zoom=100
https://www.epa.gov/greenchill/greenchill-certified-stores
https://www.climatefriendlysupermarkets.org/scorecard
https://corporate.target.com/sustainability-governance/responsible-resource-use/plastics https://www.target.com/c/target-refurbished-pre-owned/target-certified-refurbished/-/N-l6d4nZ6ql008d65vs
https://corporate.target.com/news-features/article/2025/10/sustainability-governance-report
https://www.target.com/l/target-circle-360/-/N-2rguk
https://corporate.target.com/sustainability-governance
https://corporate.target.com/sustainability-governance/governance-and-reporting/reporting-progress
https://corporate.target.com/getmedia/604d5653-0487-4660-b017-4f9a18dc7adf/2025-Target-Sustainability-and-Governance-Data-Download.xlsx
https://corporate.target.com/sustainability-governance/climate
https://corporate.target.com/getmedia/4dba7bf6-6269-421b-8ab7-22b0a766e450/Target-Global-Factory-List.xlsx
https://corporate.target.com/sustainability-governance/responsible-supply-chains/suppliers/standards-of-vendor-engagement
https://corporate.target.com/sustainability-governance/operating-ethically/business-partner-code-of-conduct
https://corporate.target.com/sustainability-governance/operating-ethically/public-policy-civic-engagement/issue-advocacy/trade-association-support-2024
https://fminus.org/lobbyists/
https://www.fec.gov/data/browse-data/
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