British luxury fashion brand Burberry has announced two new climate goals approved by the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi), building on its existing environmental pledges and for the first time setting targets for greenhouse gas emissions that apply to its extended supply chain.
The company has committed to reducing absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 95% by 2022 from a 2016 base year, and reducing absolute scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2030 from a 2016 base year.
Burberry says the scope 1 and 2 target focus on emissions from its direct operations (including electricity and gas consumption at stores, offices, internal manufacturing and distribution sites), while the scope 3 target relates to indirect emissions in its extended supply chain (which includes the impact from the sourcing of raw materials and manufacturing of finished goods).
It adds that the targets covering greenhouse gas emissions from the group’s operations (scopes 1 and 2) are consistent with reductions required to keep global warming to 1.5°C, the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement.
“Setting these new targets in line with the latest climate science is an important milestone for us,” says Pam Batty, Burberry’s vice president of corporate responsibility. “For the first time, we are setting targets for greenhouse gas emissions that apply to our extended supply chain, which is a significant addition to our already ambitious target of becoming carbon neutral in our own operational energy use by 2022. Changing the system requires collaboration, and we will be working closely with our supply chain partners to take the action needed to stay on track and achieve our goals.”
The new targets expand the reach of Burberry’s existing goal to become carbon neutral in its operational energy use by 2022, with the group noting it is already carbon neutral across the Americas region, EMEIA retail stores and its UK operations.
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By GlobalDataIt also states it is on track to achieve its RE100 commitment to go 100% renewable as it obtains 58% of its total energy (including 68% of its electricity) from renewable sources. During 2018/19, Burberry achieved a 43% reduction in market-based emissions compared to its 2016/17 base year.
“The fashion industry’s environmental impact is significant and growing,” says Cynthia Cummis, director of private sector climate mitigation at World Resources Institute (WRI), one of the Science Based Targets initiative partners.
“To prevent catastrophic climate change, it’s important that all major apparel and footwear brands set science-based targets and pursue comprehensive strategies to decarbonise their businesses.”
