g YETI.
Illumination Index
12/22
Greenwashing Risk
High · 7/12
Credibility Gap
Moderate · 5/10
Key finding · Brand identity substitution
YETI built its entire identity around the outdoors. The kind of imagery that makes sustainability feel implicit. it gives us the idea that “of course a company that loves the wild protects it.”
YETI removed its Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) commitment after it expired, then continued referencing it in the present tense. The commitment disappeared, but YETI’s words remained.
Its Scope 3 emissions, which is the the full footprint of everything YETI makes, ships, and sells. Those emissions sit 143% above its 2020 baseline. Its own target requires a 27% reduction. This means that the gap between where YETI is and where it previously committed to be at, is expanding.
#KeepTheWildWild is a hashtag. It cannot be audited. It has no baseline, no target, no third-party verification. It is a feeling dressed as a commitment.
I would label this as brand identity substitution; this is when a company's aesthetic masks the company’s data.
Part B: Credibility gap indicators
1. Emissions trajectory vs. reduction claims - Are emissions actually going down?
2. Carbon neutrality / net zero claim integrity - Is the 2050 commitment backed by anything real?
3. Omission of material controversies - What didn't make it into the sustainability report?
4. ESG ratings volatility - Volatility across independent rating agencies
5. TCFD disclosure completeness - How complete is the TCFD-aligned reporting?
Scored N/A where a company makes no relevant claim (e.g. no net zero commitment). Total max = 10.
Part A: Greenwashing indicators
1. Vagueness - Claims with no measurable meaning
2. Lack of quantification - Assertions without data attached
3. Selective disclosure - Selective reporting that omits unflattering numbers
4. Future deflection - Bold 2050 or future goals masking current performance
5. Third-party verification - No third-party validation of claims
6. Cross-platform inconsistency - Report vs. Instagram vs. investor materials
Each indicator scores 0 (absent), 1 (partial, mitigating factors present), or 2 (clear and systematic failure). Total max = 12.
References
Net Zero Tracker. (n.d.). YETI Holdings . Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit, Oxford Net Zero, NewClimate Institute, & Data-Driven EnviroLab. https://zerotracker.net
Science Based Targets initiative. (n.d.). SBTi target dashboard . https://sciencebasedtargets.org/companies-taking-action
YETI Holdings. (2024). ESG report 2024 [PDF]. https://www.yeti.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-YetiSharedLibrary/default/v1be354cba656db81176a5390d60d71349eccb147/pdfs/YETI_ESG_Report_2024_Final.pdf
YETI Holdings. (2024). Annual report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Form 10-K). U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. https://investors.yeti.com/financial-information/sec-filings
YETI Holdings. (2025). 2025 sustainability report [PDF]. https://www.yeti.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-YetiSharedLibrary/default/v9e03f996aaf4a87b74fc89fdcb7f0d8eee53cc4a/pdfs/YETI_Sustainability_Report_2025.pdf
YETI Holdings. (n.d.). Keep the wild, wild: Our commitment to people, product, and places [Sustainability hub]. https://www.yeti.com/wild.html