In 2025, DS Smith completed a corporate carbon footprint assessment and publicly disclosed its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions according to the GHG Protocol, covering Scope 1 (direct emissions from owned or controlled sources), Scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased energy) and Scope 3 (indirect emissions across the value chain).
DS Smith has also provided a category-level breakdown for 12 out of 15 Scope 3 emissions categories, offering greater transparency into its value chain emissions.
| Metric (tCO2e) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 - 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Scope 1 | 1,399,949a | 1,340,272a | 1,542,250b | |
Total Scope 2 | ||||
Market-Based | 840,913a | 944,921a | 833,759b | |
Location-Based | 840,841a | 922,923a | 891,267b | |
Total Scope 3 | 4,587,940a | 4,700,076a | 5,015,409a | |
Total Scope 1 Revenue Intensity (tCO2e/$M) | N/A | 156.4222a | 150.1091b |
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In 2025, the total operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of DS Smith amounted to 2,240,790 metric tons of CO2 equivalent. This figure includes both direct emissions from owned or controlled sources (Scope 1) and indirect emissions from purchased energy (Scope 2).a
Compared to 2024, the total operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of DS Smith decreased by 0.99%, showing that the company has made progress in taking action to reduce the climate impact of its operations.a
In 2025, the total Scope 1 emissions of DS Smith were 1,399,949 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e).a
Since 2020, DS Smith's Scope 1 emissions have decreased by 35.84%, reflecting a declining long-term trend in Scope 1 emissions over time.a
Compared to the previous year (2024), DS Smith's Scope 1 emissions increased by 4.45%, suggesting that the company faced challenges in reducing emissions from its directly owned or controlled operations.a
In 2025, DS Smith reported Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 840,913 tCO₂e using the market-based method and 840,841 tCO₂e using the location-based method.a
Since 2020, DS Smith's Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Location-Based) have remained relatively stable, indicating that DS Smith's emissions have plateaued with no significant change in its energy consumption footprint.a
Compared to the previous year (2024), DS Smith's Scope 2 emissions (Location-Based) have remained relatively stable, indicating that DS Smith's emissions have plateaued with no significant change in its energy consumption footprint.a
In 2025, DS Smith reported its Scope 2 emissions using the market-based method and using the location-based method.a
In 2025, DS Smith reported 4,587,940 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) of Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, representing indirect emissions across its upstream and downstream value chain.a
The 2025 disclosure of DS Smith includes a breakdown across 12 of the 15 Scope 3 categories defined by the GHG Protocol, matching the level of disclosure in 2024, demonstrating consistent Scope 3 emissions reporting coverage year over year.a
In 2025, DS Smith reported total Scope 3 emissions of 4,587,940 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e).a
Approximately 75.4% of these emissions originated from upstream activities such as purchased goods and capital goods, while 24.6% came from downstream activities like product use, distribution, and end-of-life treatment.a
Since 2020, DS Smith's Scope 3 emissions have decreased by 19.11%, reflecting a declining long-term trend in Scope 3 emissions over time.a
Compared to the previous year (2024), DS Smith's Scope 3 emissions remained relatively stable, indicating that DS Smith's emissions have plateaued with no significant change in its value chain footprint.a
In 2025, DS Smith reported emissions for 12 out of the 15 Scope 3 categories defined by the GHG Protocol.a
This reflects a high level of granularity and transparency in the company's emissions reporting.
In 2025, the largest contributors to DS Smith's Scope 3 emissions were:a
In 2024, DS Smith reported Scope 1 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 1,340,272 tCO₂e and total revenues of USD 8,568 millions. This translates into an emissions intensity of 156.42 tCO₂e per millions USD.a
In 2024, DS Smith reported a Scope 1 emissions intensity of 156.42 tCO₂e per millions USD. Compared to the peer group median of 47.7, this places the company above its industry benchmark, indicating it is less carbon-efficient than most competitors.a
In 2024, DS Smith ranked 19 out of 23 companies in its industry peer group, based on Scope 1 emissions intensity (measured in tCO₂e per millions USD).a
This places DS Smith among the least efficient performers, with one of the highest emissions intensities in its sector.a
In 2025, DS Smith reported a total carbon footprint of 6,828,730 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) across Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions. This represents a 1.93% decrease compared to 2024, indicating progress in reducing its overall greenhouse gas output.a
The largest contributor to DS Smith's total carbon footprint was Scope 3 emissions, accounting for 67.19% of the company's total carbon footprint, followed by Scope 1 emissions at 20.5%.a