CONTRIBUTING TO THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS)
Burberry’s commitment to sustainability is longstanding, grounded in the belief that for our future growth we need to actively address the challenges facing the fashion and luxury industry and the world in which we operate. We are dedicated to reducing our environmental footprint and enabling social progress. Recognising the power of working collaboratively to drive real change, we often work with our peers, sector experts and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) to achieve our ambitions.
Our ESG activity is aligned to the Paris Climate Agreement and informed by the United Nations SDGs.
Below are some of the ways we contribute towards these goals:
SDG 1. No Poverty
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Principal Partner of the Living Wage Foundation and steering group member of the Global Living Wage Initiative
FY 2020/21 highlights
- The Burberry Foundation COVID-19 Community Fund
- The Burberry Foundation programme in Afghanistan focused on improving the livelihoods of cashmere goat herding communities
SDG 2. No hunger
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Donations to food charities as part of our COVID-19 response
FY 2020/21 highlights
- Donations to FareShare, The Felix Project and The Trussell Trust
SDG 3. Good health and wellbeing
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Holistic Global Wellbeing programme, including Mental Health training and Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
FY 2020/21 highlights
- Global Parental Leave Policy with equalised leave for all new parents, Time to Change Pledge, funding for University of Oxford and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine research
SDG 4. Quality education
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Burberry Inspire UK and New York
FY 2020/21 highlights
- Donated ReBurberry Fabrics to fashion students with the British Fashion Council
- Supported new youth engagement programmes, including partnerships with London Youth, the International Youth Foundation’s Global Youth Resiliency Fund and Wide Rainbow
SDG 5. Gender equality
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
A skilled and balanced Board, met targets set by the Hampton-Alexander Review Report for FTSE 100 companies and recognised in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, endorse the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles
FY 2020/21 highlights
- Launched global Diversity and Inclusion Policy and strategy
- Global Parental Leave Policy is equal for colleagues around the world
SDG 6. Clean water and sanitation
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Supply chain water conservation and reduction programme
FY 2020/21 highlights
- Launched water resilience assessments across the supply chain
SDG 7. Affordable and clean energy
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Member of RE100, committed to using 100% renewable electricity by 2022 and encouraging our suppliers to do the same. Our target is to be Net Zero by 2040 and carbon neutral in our own operational energy use by 2022
FY 2020/21 highlights
- Renewables currently power 93% of our electricity needs worldwide
- Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) energy efficiency programme in Italy
SDG 8. Decent work and economic growth
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
UK Living Wage Accreditation and steering group member of the Global Living Wage Initiative, The Burberry Foundation programme in Afghanistan, partnership with Year Up in New York
FY 2020/21 highlights
- Maintained pay for all our people impacted by COVID-19 and provided full pay during COVID-19-linked absences
- Did not avail of the UK government’s furlough scheme
SDG 9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Core partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular initiative
FY 2020/21 highlights
- Design innovation, such as 3D model sampling for products
- Artificial Intelligence utilised for product ordering
SDG 10. Reduced inequalities
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Burberry and The Burberry Foundation partnerships, including with Oxfam and PUR Projet in Afghanistan, Oxfam Italy, Teach First, The Careers & Enterprise Company and MyKindaFuture, Burberry Inspire, The Royal College of Art, London Youth, Year Up, initiatives to support global disability efforts and LGBTQ+ community as part of the Diversity and Inclusion strategy, Cultural Advisory Committee and Global Living Wage Initiative
FY 2020/21 highlights
- Launched global Diversity and Inclusion Policy
- Included in Bloomberg’s Gender-Equality Index 2021 and joined Valuable 500, Business Disability Forum
- Signatory of the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles
SDG 11. Sustainable cities and communities
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
LEED and BREEAM compliance in construction, underpinning the sustainability and efficiency of our buildings
FY 2020/21 highlights
- Launched luxury’s first Sustainability Bond, which includes green buildings criteria
SDG 12. Responsible consumption and production
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, Sustainable Fibre Alliance (SFA), The ZDHC Foundation board member, Canopy, Leather Working Group, Elvis & Kresse and Progetto Quid
FY 2020/21 highlights
- Signature oak paper is made from a minimum of 40% upcycled coffee cups that would have otherwise gone to landfill
- Launched new traceability and sustainable raw materials targets
SDG 13. Climate action
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Goal to be Net Zero by 2040, RE100 member, and 100% renewable electricity goal by 2022, Science Based Targets
FY 2020/21 highlights
- Carbon-neutral runway shows and events since 2019
- Progress against 100% renewable electricity commitment (93% achieved in FY 2020/21)
- Advancing our climate change risk reporting as a signatory of the TCFD
SDG 14. Life below water
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Signatory to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment and CEO is a steering committee member of The Fashion Pact
FY 2020/21 highlights
- Member of the corporate engagement programme of the Science Based Targets for Nature initiative
SDG 15. Life on land
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Stretching sustainable materials targets, The Burberry Regeneration Fund and our work on sustainable cashmere with the Sustainable Fibre Alliance (SFA)
FY 2020/21 highlights
- Partnered with PUR Projet to launch a programme aimed at supporting regenerative agricultural practices
- Member of the corporate engagement programme of the Science Based Targets for Nature initiative
SDG 16. Peace, justice and strong institutions
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Code of Conduct, Responsible Business Principles, Human Rights Policy and being a signatory to the UN Global Compact
FY 2020/21 highlights
- Celebrated Pride and continue longstanding support for LGBTQ+ communities
SDG 17. Partnerships for the goals
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Stakeholder engagement
FY 2020/21 highlights
- Supported COVID-19 relief efforts
- Signatories of the WWF open letter to leaders
- Supported the International Labour Organization’s Call to Action and the UN Global Compact’s “Recover Better” initiative
RESPONSIBILITY AGENDA
In 2017, we launched our current Responsibility agenda, comprising a series of ambitious targets to 2022 across our Product, Company and Communities.
The strategy, developed in collaboration with global innovators and key stakeholders, aims to address the most material social and environmental impacts along our value chain.
Our goals
Our progress
PRODUCT
Goal: To have 100% of product with more than one positive attribute by 2022, where positive attributes relate to social and/or environmental improvements, achieved at either raw material sourcing or product manufacturing stage
Progress: 82% of products with more than one positive attribute and 94% with at least one^
Goal: To procure 100% of our cotton more sustainably by 2022 by using a portfolio approach. This includes working with partners and exploring new sources, including organic and regenerative cotton
Progress: 78%
Goal: To source 100% of leather from tanneries with environmental, traceability and social compliance certifications by 2022
Progress: 80%
SDGs: SDG 6, SDG 8, SDG 9, SDG 12, SDG 13, SDG 15 and SDG 17
COMPANY
Goal: To achieve carbon neutrality in our own operational energy use by reducing absolute emissions, improving energy efficiency and switching to renewable electricity sources, before offsetting any remaining emissions
Progress: 92% reduction in market-based emissions since base year FY 2016/17
Goal: To achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2022, driving this through close collaboration with our procurement and retail teams and engagement with landlords
Progress: 93%^
Goal: To reduce and revalue waste and achieve zero operational waste to landfill across key sites. We already reuse, repair, repurpose, donate or recycle unsaleable products and we will continue to expand these efforts
Progress: Zero operational waste sent to landfill from key sites^
SDGs: SDG 7, SDG 12, SDG 13 and SDG 17
COMMUNITIES
Goal: To positively impact 1 million people by 2022
Progress: 680,170^ positively impacted since the start of the launch of the partnerships in FY 2016/17
Goal: Tackling educational inequality and building cultural capital
Progress: 130,360 in FY 2020/21
Goal: Fostering community cohesion and employability skills
Progress: 42,810 in FY 2020/21
Goal: Supporting economic and social empowerment
Progress: 73,189 in FY 2020/21
SDGs: SDG 1, SDG 4, SDG 5, SDG 8, SDG 10 and SDG 17
MATERIALITY
Our Responsibility strategy was developed with the support of key stakeholders, to address the most material issues for our business, as well as the most pressing social and environmental needs along our value chain.
Our goals are informed by the Paris Climate Agreement and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), resulting in, for example; our climate-related commitments to be net-zero by 2040, adopting science based targets and a 100% renewable electricity target (in support of SDG 13 – Climate Action); driving positive change through all of our products (in support of SDG 12 – responsible production and consumption); and contributing to several SDGs through our goal to positively impact 1 million people with the support of the Burberry Foundation all by 2022.
Our community focused programmes were established based on key locations along our value chain where we are uniquely placed to make a difference (and contribute to: SDG 1 – No Poverty, SDG 4 – Quality Education, SDG 5 – Gender Equality, SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 10 – reduced inequalities).
When establishing these programmes we worked with expert non-governmental organisations, to identify local community needs and effective ways to address them. All of our targets to 2022 are underpinned by SDG 17 – Partnerships for the goals, as we recognise a collaborative multi-stakeholder approach is required to tackle some of the greatest global sustainability challenges faced today.
We have had an external expert advisory committee in place since 2013. Committee members have played a crucial role as ‘critical friends’, providing feedback on our approach to challenges and opportunities across our Responsibility agenda, as well as support for advancing our work. During FY 2020/21 we refreshed our approach to external stakeholder engagement by establishing individual forums to have more focused discussions on topics from human rights to future sustainability priorities. Our engagement with external expert forums is ongoing and is designed to:
Engage in transformative dialogue by exploring future trends and sustainability challenges and opportunities
Inform and constructively challenge Burberry’s Responsibility programme and progress
Advise future strategy and approaches and identify areas for collaboration
EXTERNAL ASSURANCE OF CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY DISCLOSURES
Burberry has appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) to provide limited assurance over selected Company, Product and Community information for FY 2019/20. Information forming part of the assurance scope is denoted with a ^ above. The assurance statement and Burberry’s basis of reporting are available here. Please click here for Burberry’s basis of reporting and the full independent assurance statement.
RESPONSIBILITY GOVERNANCE
Our Responsibility agenda is front of mind for senior leaders across our teams, ensuring that we are making decisions with consideration for their departments’ environmental and social impacts. Progress is reviewed by the Sustainability Steering Committee at least three times per year, chaired by our CEO.
Progress is shared regularly with the Ethics Committee, Risk Committee and the Board, and reviewed by our external advisory forums, comprising independent external experts.
The implementation of our strategy is overseen by our Responsibility team of more than 30 in-house sustainability experts.
Our people play an important role in delivering our Responsibility strategy, from driving energy efficiency and reductions across our operations to working closely with our supply chain partners to minimise our impact when we source raw materials and create our products.
