Associated British Foods plc (ABF) is a diversified international food, ingredients, and retail group headquartered in Great Britain. Founded in 1935, the company has established a strong presence across Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa, operating in various sectors including grocery, sugar, agriculture, and retail. ABF is renowned for its core products, which include high-quality sugar, bakery goods, and branded grocery items, as well as its ownership of the popular retail chain Primark. The company’s commitment to sustainability and innovation sets it apart in the competitive food industry. With a robust market position, ABF has achieved notable milestones, including significant growth in its sugar and grocery divisions, solidifying its reputation as a leader in the global market.
How does Associated British Foods's carbon action stack up? DitchCarbon scores companies based on their carbon action and commitment to reducing emissions. Read about our methodology to learn more.
Mean score of companies in the Food Product Manufacturing industry. Comparing a company's score to the industry average can give you a sense of how well the company is doing compared to its peers.
Associated British Foods's score of 77 is higher than 88% of the industry. This can give you a sense of how well the company is doing compared to its peers.
In 2024, Associated British Foods (ABF) reported total carbon emissions of approximately 8.4 billion kg CO2e, comprising 2.25 billion kg CO2e from Scope 1, 0.57 billion kg CO2e from Scope 2, and 6.21 billion kg CO2e from Scope 3 emissions. In 2023, the total emissions were approximately 8.5 billion kg CO2e, with Scope 1 emissions at 2.20 billion kg CO2e, Scope 2 at 0.63 billion kg CO2e, and Scope 3 at 7.02 billion kg CO2e. ABF has set ambitious climate commitments, including a target to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 30% from a 2018 baseline by 2030. Additionally, AB Sugar aims to reduce its end-to-end supply chain CO2 footprints by 30% by 2030. The company is also committed to achieving net zero emissions across all scopes by 2050. These targets are cascaded from its parent company, Associated British Foods plc, which oversees the overall sustainability strategy. The organization is actively working towards these goals through various initiatives, including energy efficiency programmes and fuel substitution strategies.
Access structured emissions data, company-specific emission factors, and source documents
| 2011 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scope 1 | 2,694,910,000 | - | 0,000,000,000 | 0,000,000,000 | - | 0,000,000,000 | - | 0,000,000,000 | 0,000,000,000 | 0,000,000,000 | 0,000,000,000 | 0,000,000,000 |
| Scope 2 | 942,354,000 | - | 0,000,000,000 | 0,000,000,000 | - | 000,000,000 | - | 000,000,000 | 000,000,000 | 000,000,000 | 000,000,000 | 000,000,000 |
| Scope 3 | - | - | - | 000,000,000 | - | - | - | - | 0,000,000,000 | 0,000,000,000 | 0,000,000,000 | 0,000,000,000 |
Climate goals typically focus on 2030 interim targets and 2050 net-zero commitments, aligned with global frameworks like the Paris Agreement and Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to ensure alignment with global climate goals.
Associated British Foods has not publicly committed to specific 2030 or 2050 climate goals through the major frameworks we track. Companies often set interim 2030 targets and long-term 2050 net-zero goals to demonstrate measurable progress toward decarbonization.

