Burberry partners with UN to tackle climate change

At COP24 in Katowice, Poland, Burberry announced its partnership with Un Climate Change to launch Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Change. The company said that this charter aims to drive change across the fashion industry with an initial goal of reducing aggregate greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030.

Issues that will be addressed by signatories include reducing carbon impacts at production stage, selecting climate friendly and sustainable materials, exploring circular business models, improving consumer dialogue and awareness and working with policymakers to catalyse scalable solutions.

Commenting on the initiative, Marco Gobbetti, Burberry’s Chief Executive Officer, said in a statement: “While we have committed to becoming carbon neutral in our own operations, achieving a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across the entire global fashion industry by 2030 will require innovation and collaboration. By working together with other signatories of the Charter, we believe that we can achieve systemic change and build a more sustainable future.”

Last year, Burberry announced its plans to become carbon neutral in its own operations by 2022. In support of the global effort to address the threat of climate change set out by The Paris Agreement, Burberry committed to improve energy efficiency, reduce absolute consumption and switch to renewable energy sources, while offsetting any remaining emissions and the company added that it is more than a third of the way to achieving this goal. In 2017/18, almost 50 percent of Burberry’s total energy was procured from renewable sources, an increase of 24 percent from the year before and the company also achieved a 20 percent reduction in market-based CO2e emissions and a 4 percent reduction in global, absolute energy consumption.

“The fashion industry is always two steps ahead when it comes to defining world culture, so I am pleased to see it now also leading the way in terms of climate action. I congratulate the signatories of this important charter, which represents a unique commitment and collaboration from an array of fashion leaders,” added Patricia Espinosa, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary.

The company further said that with an in-house team of sustainability experts delivering the company’s Energy & Water Reduction Programme, modelled on the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Clean by Design principles, Burberry also helps its supply chain partners cut their energy and water consumption.

Picture:Facebook/Burberry