Direct emissions
86
tCO2e
W
WH Smith PLC
Explore carbon emissions data for WH Smith PLC. Mycelium helps you review reported emissions, disclosure status, Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 data, climate targets and sustainability information in one company profile.
This profile brings together available carbon emissions data for WH Smith PLC, including reported figures, modelled estimates, disclosure documents and sustainability indicators, so you can review its emissions and compare its performance against similar companies. It is one entry in the Mycelium emissions database. Read how we source and check this data.
Emissions
Carbon emissions
Total yearly emissions across all scopes
468,672 tCO2e (Market Based) (Mycelium adjusted)
- Reported by WH Smith PLC
- 385,056 tCO₂e
- Estimated by Mycelium
- 83,616 tCO₂e
WH Smith PLC reported 82% of the adjusted total. Mycelium estimated the remaining 18% for the categories it did not disclose.
Scope 1
tCO2e
86
Scope 2 (Market Based)
tCO2e
1,468
Scope 3 total
tCO2e
467,118
Checked against pages 8 and 16 of the source report on 4 Oct 2026
Scope 3 reported
The GHG Protocol splits Scope 3 into 15 categories. Ticked categories are the ones this disclosure reports; the rest are either not applicable or estimated by Mycelium.
-
1
Purchased goods & services
-
2
Capital goods
-
3
Fuel & energy related activities
-
4
Upstream transportation & distribution
-
5
Waste generated in operations
-
6
Business travel
-
7
Employee commuting
-
8
Upstream leased assets
-
9
Downstream transportation & distribution
-
10
Processing of sold products
-
11
Use of sold products
-
12
End-of-life treatment of sold products
-
13
Downstream leased assets
-
14
Franchises
-
15
Investments
The GHG Protocol splits Scope 3 into 15 categories. Ticked categories are the ones this disclosure reports; the rest are either not applicable or estimated by Mycelium.
- 1 Purchased goods & services
- 2 Capital goods
- 3 Fuel & energy related activities
- 4 Upstream transportation & distribution
- 5 Waste generated in operations
- 6 Business travel
- 7 Employee commuting
- 8 Upstream leased assets
- 9 Downstream transportation & distribution
- 10 Processing of sold products
- 11 Use of sold products
- 12 End-of-life treatment of sold products
- 13 Downstream leased assets
- 14 Franchises
- 15 Investments
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
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See the scope breakdownProvenance
Emissions
Factors
0.308
kgCO2e / £
Supplier specific emission factors (kgCO2e / £)
Modelled
Reported
Scope 1 + 2
Direct + purchased energy
0.001
0.001
Upstream
+ upstream Scope 3
0.251
0.233
Total
+ all Scope 3
0.308
0.253
Scope 2 in these factors uses the company's market based figure.
Which figure should I use?
Comparing companies? Use Total Modelled. It is the most complete like-for-like view: any categories the company has not disclosed are filled with industry-typical estimates, so a transparent company is not unfairly penalised against one that simply has not reported.
Estimating your own supply-chain emissions from spend with this company? Use Upstream Modelled. The GHG Protocol defines purchased-goods emissions as cradle-to-gate, which means this company's own operations plus its upstream supply chain. The Total figure also includes downstream emissions, such as the lifetime use of the products this company sells, which the GHG Protocol attributes to the users of those products rather than to customers buying goods and services.
Reported counts only emissions the company has filed itself. A blank or low Reported cell does not mean those emissions do not exist, just that the company has not disclosed them. When Reported sits close to Modelled, that is a positive signal: the company has disclosed most of its salient emissions.
Sustainability
Snapshot
Based on reported data, retrieved with AI
- WH Smith PLC reported 385,056 tCO₂e in 2025.
- Scope 3 accounted for 100% of emissions.
- Reported across 9 of 15 GHG Protocol Scope 3 categories.
- Scope 2 reported under the market based methodology.
According to available emissions disclosures, WH Smith PLC reported total yearly emissions of 385,056 tCO₂e in 2025. Scope 3 emissions accounted for 100% of the footprint, indicating supply chain activity, purchased goods and services, business travel, and wider operational dependencies were the most significant contributors to the company's carbon footprint.
The company achieved a Mycelium Score of 6.6, placing it strongly within its sector for sustainability performance, and received a transparency score of 82.2, meaning they share solid detail across the main emissions areas.
Scope
breakdown
Scope 1 emissions
Direct emissions from sources the company owns or controls, such as fuel use, facilities and vehicles.
Scope 2 emissions
Indirect emissions from purchased energy, including electricity, heating and cooling.
Location based
11,666
tCO2eMarket based USED IN TOTAL
1,468
tCO2eScope 3 emissions
Wider value chain emissions across the 15 GHG Protocol categories, from purchased goods and business travel to investments, where reported.
Cat 1
Purchased goods & services
326,000
tCO2eCat 2
Capital goods
21,480
tCO2eCat 3
Fuel & energy related activities
2,100
tCO2eCat 4
Upstream transportation & distribution
11,700
tCO2eCat 5
Waste generated in operations
2
tCO2eCat 6
Business travel
1,400
tCO2eCat 7
Employee commuting
11,100
tCO2eCat 8
Upstream leased assets
6,454
tCO2eCat 9
Downstream transportation & distribution
24,586
tCO2eCat 10
Processing of sold products
6,121
tCO2eCat 11
Use of sold products
13,500
tCO2eCat 12
End-of-life treatment of sold products
14,000
tCO2eCat 13
Downstream leased assets
8,026
tCO2eCat 14
Franchises
3,700
tCO2eCat 15
Investments
16,949
tCO2e6 values were derived via Mycelium's normalisation process rather than reported by the company. A cell marked “ESTIMATED” is a figure the company did not disclose, modelled by Mycelium. Cells marked “–” were not disclosed and could not be modelled.
Verification
Independent third parties involved in checking or preparing WH Smith PLC's emissions data.
Independent assurance
Independently assured (limited assurance) by SLR Consulting Limited for 2025
Climate targets
Net zero pledge
Net zero target
Not stated
Near-term target
by 2030
As stated in WH Smith PLC's 2025 report.
Science Based Targets initiative
Near-term target
Targets set (1.5°C), target year 2030
Source: Science Based Targets initiative, Companies Taking Action.
Climate initiatives
Schemes and standards WH Smith PLC has joined to disclose, cut and verify its emissions.
Contact Info
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How scoring works
How the Mycelium Score is calculated
The Mycelium Score is out of 10. Up to 6.5 points reflect carbon intensity vs sector peers (emissions normalised against revenue), scaled by how transparent the reporting is. The band above 6.5 is earned through verified data quality on a claimed profile: declaring every reporting category yourself (up to 2.0), preparation by a carbon accountant (2.0) and independently audited figures (2.0), capped at 10.
A higher score means lower carbon intensity than sector peers, backed by data that's third-party verified, claimed by the company, and fully disclosed. WH Smith PLC's score sits at the top of this page and in the score panel.
How the Transparency Score is calculated
The Transparency Score is the share of a company's estimated footprint that it reported itself, graded from A (very high) down to F (very low). Where a category is missing, Mycelium models what it would hold for a company of that size and industry and counts it as undisclosed, so an unreported category where the bulk of emissions sit hurts far more than a minor one. A Scope 3 total filed without a category breakdown earns very little credit for the part left unattributed, because it does not show which categories are inside it: a company can count business travel, leave purchased goods out entirely, and the total looks the same. Companies with nothing to model are graded on how much of their industry's typical footprint the reported categories cover.
For WH Smith PLC, the single biggest gap is Capital goods (Scope 3 Category 2). Mycelium estimates it accounts for around 5% of the company's total footprint, typically the largest source of emissions for a Retail company, yet it hasn't been disclosed. Leaving a bucket this large unreported is what's holding the transparency score down.
Other material categories WH Smith PLC hasn't disclosed:
- Downstream transportation & distribution (Scope 3 Category 9), around 5% of the estimated footprint
- Investments (Scope 3 Category 15), around 4% of the estimated footprint
In total, roughly 14% of WH Smith PLC's estimated emissions sit in categories it hasn't reported. Disclosing these would be the fastest way to raise the transparency score.
Read the full scoring methodology
Our white paper covers exactly how the Mycelium Score and Transparency Score are calculated, including the normalisation process and what earns a 10/10.
Download the white paper (PDF)
WH Smith PLC carbon emissions FAQs
What are WH Smith PLC's carbon emissions?
In its 2025 reporting year, WH Smith PLC disclosed total emissions of 385,056 tCO2e across all scopes. Including Mycelium estimates for undisclosed categories, the adjusted total is 468,672 tCO2e. Scope 3 accounted for the largest share, around 100% of the total.
Does WH Smith PLC report Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions?
For 2025, WH Smith PLC's available disclosure covers Scope 1 (86 tCO2e), Scope 2 (1,468 tCO2e), Scope 3 across 9 of the 15 GHG Protocol categories. Figures not reported by the company are shown as modelled estimates and labelled as such.
How transparent is WH Smith PLC's emissions reporting?
WH Smith PLC has a Mycelium transparency score of 82.2 out of 100. The score is the share of the company's estimated footprint that it reported itself, so an undisclosed category where most of its emissions sit weighs far more than a minor one.
Is WH Smith PLC sustainable?
Mycelium measures sustainability through carbon emissions data rather than giving a yes or no verdict. WH Smith PLC has a Mycelium Score of 6.6 out of 10, which reflects its emissions intensity against sector peers together with how transparent and well-verified its reporting is. The emissions figures, disclosure documents and climate targets on this page give the fuller picture.
Is WH Smith PLC environmentally friendly?
Carbon emissions are one measurable part of environmental impact, and the part Mycelium tracks. WH Smith PLC disclosed 385,056 tCO2e for 2025, and its Mycelium Score of 6.6 out of 10 shows how that performance compares with similar companies in its sector.
Learn more about our methodology and where this data comes from.
