Last week, Burberry announced its pledge to become Climate Positive by 2040, setting a new industry standard that goes further than the company’s current 2040 net-zero target. To achieve this, Burberry will take action within its own value chain, guided by climate science. The company has said that this includes accelerating its ambition to reduce emissions across its extended supply chain, aiming to reduce them by 46% (from a previous target of 30%) by 2030. This means Burberry’s Science-based targets will be aligned to the 1.5°C pathway set out in the Paris Agreement, but taking it up a notch by becoming net-zero by 2040, 10 years ahead of schedule.
Burberry will also invest in initiatives beyond its value chain that support the world’s efforts to create a resilient, zero-carbon future, including investing in programs that protect and restore natural ecosystems that remove carbon from the atmosphere, funding climate resilience projects that empower vulnerable, frontline communities to adapt to changing realities and protect livelihoods, and actively advocating for what it will take to transform the fashion industry, in partnership with NGOs, peers and policymakers.
But wait, there’s more. The fashion house intends to speed up its low-carbon future solutions and investing in nature-based projects with carbon benefits that restore and protect natural ecosystems and enhance the livelihoods of global communities through the Burberry Regeneration Fund. The Burberry Regeneration Fund was established in 2020 to support a portfolio of verified carbon offsetting and insetting projects, which enable Burberry to compensate and store carbon, promote biodiversity, facilitate the restoration of ecosystems and support the livelihoods of local communities.
For its inaugural insetting project, Burberry is partnering with PUR Projet to implement a regenerative agricultural program with wool producers in Australia. The project works at farm level to improve carbon capture in soils, strengthen watershed and soil health and promote biodiverse habitats.
In addition, Burberry announces its support for the Fashion Avengers, a coalition of global fashion organizations that have come together to inspire action towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As part of this initiative, Burberry is supporting the Forest for Change, a UN Global Goals installation created by British designer Es Devlin for the 2021 London Design Biennale. From 1 – 27 June 2021, the courtyard of Somerset House in London will be transformed into a forest, inviting visitors to discover the 17 UN Global Goals.
Burberry’s new climate ambition builds on the company’s heritage of exploration and long-standing environmental and social programs. On its journey to becoming Climate Positive, Burberry will also continue to advocate for changemakers and support programs transforming the fashion industry, in partnership with NGOs, peers and policymakers.
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