Bath & Body Works, Inc. (BBWI) — ESG & Values Scores

Environment story

Bath & Body Works discloses minimal quantitative environmental data in its 10-K filing. Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions figures are absent from the document. The company acknowledges sustainability initiatives as a risk factor and maintains a sustainability function, but no verified net-zero target year, renewable energy percentage, or decarbonization infrastructure investments are disclosed. The filing mentions geographically concentrated manufacturing in central Ohio vulnerable to climate-related disruptions, and references energy-cost fluctuations as a business risk. Absence of concrete emissions disclosure, credible net-zero timeline, or renewable-energy commitments results in significant deductions. The company's reliance on third-party vendors and limited visibility into supply-chain sustainability practices suggests material Scope 3 exposure remains unquantified.

Criticisms on file

Undisclosed emissions and net-zero targets; no verified climate commitments in 10-K filing.
Source: BBWI 10-K (SEC filing 000070198526000008) - Item 1A Risk Factors, sustainability section.
Geographic concentration of manufacturing in central Ohio creates climate-change vulnerability; company acknowledges natural-disaster risk exacerbated by climate change.
Source: BBWI 10-K - Risk Factors section on geographic concentration and climate conditions.
No disclosure of Scope 3 emissions despite reliance on global supply chain and third-party manufacturing; visibility gaps acknowledged regarding vendor compliance with environmental standards.
Source: BBWI 10-K - Risk Factors on vendor compliance and supply-chain audits.

Disclosed initiatives

Sustainability Function

Company maintains a sustainability function to provide direction and coordinate sustainability work throughout the Company, per 10-K risk disclosure.

Structural governance for sustainability, but no quantified outcomes disclosed.
Energy-Cost Management

Company acknowledges fluctuations in energy costs and third-party transportation impacts on operations.

Risk management framing; no affirmative decarbonization investments detailed.

Social story

Bath & Body Works discloses limited quantitative social metrics in its 10-K. CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio is not provided. The company acknowledges high retail-industry turnover as a competitive risk and identifies labor-cost inflation and talent competition as material challenges. No disclosed union-suppression activities or recent strikes are mentioned, suggesting a neutral union stance, though the 10-K explicitly warns that unionization campaigns would incur significant legal and consulting expenses and negative publicity. Diversity metrics (gender, race, executive/board representation) are absent from the filing. The company references supply-chain compliance audits but provides no detailed human-rights hazards assessment or living-wage commitments. Supplier diversity programs and formal DEI initiatives are not described in the 10-K. The absence of wage-equity data, leadership diversity percentages, and substantive supply-chain ethics disclosures results in deductions across all three social pillars.

Criticisms on file

No disclosed CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio, limiting wage-equity transparency.
Source: BBWI 10-K (SEC filing) - 10-K filing does not include executive compensation tables in the provided excerpt.
High retail-industry turnover acknowledged as competitive risk; company's own turnover rates not disclosed, limiting assessment of labor-retention practices.
Source: BBWI 10-K - Risk Factors section on labor costs and associate attraction/retention.
Limited supply-chain human-rights disclosure; company acknowledges UFLPA compliance risks and potential forced-labor exposure in China supply chain but states lack of full visibility into supplier sub-tier chains.
Source: BBWI 10-K - Risk Factors on global sourcing, specifically section addressing Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and China supplier visibility gaps.
No formal diversity program, supplier-diversity program, or civil-rights audit disclosed in 10-K filing.
Source: BBWI 10-K - absence of such disclosures in provided filing.

Disclosed initiatives

Labor-Market Competitiveness

Company acknowledges need to pay higher wages to attract and retain qualified associates in competitive labor market.

Responds to labor-market dynamics; no affirmative worker-welfare commitment disclosed.
Vendor Compliance Audits

Company references internal and vendor operating guidelines that promote ethical business practices and monitor vendor operations via compliance auditors.

Audit infrastructure in place; specific findings, remediation, or human-rights certifications not disclosed.
Associate Diversity and Training

Company identifies providing positive, engaging experiences for diverse customer base and hiring diverse associates as a competitive advantage.

Diversity value stated; no quantified representation targets or diversity-program details disclosed.

Governance story

Bath & Body Works operates a standard single-class share structure with no disclosed dual-class voting arrangement, meeting the governance baseline. Board independence percentage is not provided in the 10-K. The company explicitly discloses shareholder activism as a material risk factor, warning of substantial costs and management distraction from such campaigns. No specific active lobbying expenditures targeting environmental deregulation or consumer-protection rollbacks are disclosed in the 10-K, though the company acknowledges complex regulatory compliance obligations and litigation exposure across multiple domains (privacy, product safety, labor, tax, antitrust). No major antitrust proceedings, SEC consent decrees, or significant financial-fraud enforcement actions are mentioned in the provided 10-K excerpt. The company references self-insurance programs and routine tax audits as operational risks. Overall governance transparency is limited by absence of detailed board composition, lobbying disclosure, and specific regulatory-enforcement detail, preventing a higher score.

Criticisms on file

Shareholder activism identified as material risk; company warns of significant expense, management distraction, and potential adverse impact on stock price and business strategy execution.
Source: BBWI 10-K - Risk Factors section on shareholder activism.
No board independence percentage disclosed; limits ability to assess governance effectiveness.
Source: BBWI 10-K - absence of board composition disclosure in provided excerpt.
Complex litigation exposure across employment, product liability, privacy, tax, and antitrust domains acknowledged; company states inability to currently assess likely outcome of pending suits.
Source: BBWI 10-K - Risk Factors section on compliance and legal matters.
Cybersecurity and data-breach risks extensively disclosed; company has experienced breaches and acknowledges ongoing vulnerability to evolving threats including AI-based attacks.
Source: BBWI 10-K - Risk Factors sections on information technology systems, cybersecurity incidents, and data privacy.

Disclosed initiatives

Compliance and Internal Controls

Company states policies, procedures and internal controls designed to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley Act, U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, U.K. Bribery Act, SEC and NYSE requirements.

Standard governance framework disclosed; effectiveness not independently verified in 10-K.
Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Governance

Company acknowledges complex legal landscape of federal, state and international privacy laws (CCPA, GDPR, PIPEDA, etc.) and states commitment to implementing safeguards and training.

Responsive governance to evolving regulatory environment; no quantified compliance metrics disclosed.
IT Transformation Project

Multi-year initiative to modernize IT systems, enhance AI capabilities, and improve cybersecurity safeguards.

Forward-looking infrastructure investment; execution risks explicitly disclosed.

These are Missionomics' own editorial scores — directional signals built from disclosed facts under a published method, not certifications or definitive ratings of Bath & Body Works, Inc.. Coverage and confidence vary by data point, and figures can lag real-world changes. Read the full Methodology for sourcing, scoring, and correction details — or open Bath & Body Works, Inc. in the app for interactive charts and portfolio building.

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