CONTRIBUTING TO THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS)
Our Responsibility agenda contributes to a range of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where we feel we are uniquely placed to make a positive difference. We recognise the power of working in collaboration to drive real change in the industry, which is why SDG 17 runs across the breadth of our strategy enabling progress in all areas of our work. We are focused on working together with industry peers, business partners and other key stakeholder groups to find long term solutions and promote wider industry change.
Below are some of the ways we contribute towards the SDGs:

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 2021/22 highlights
- The Burberry Foundation COVID-19 Community Fund
- Donations to UNICEF’s COVID-19 Vaccines

SDG 2. No hunger
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Annual donations and crisis relief responses around the world and to food charities
FY 2021/22 highlights
- Donations to FareShare, The Felix Project and The Trussell Trust
- Donations to the The British Red Cross, Save the Children and the Trussell Trust whose Ukraine Crisis Appeals involved the distribution of food to Ukrainian refugees

SDG 3. Good health and wellbeing
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Global Health and Safety Policy, Holistic Global Wellbeing programme, including Mental Health training and Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), Human Rights Policy, COVID-19 Risk Assessment, mitigating actions following findings from the Human Rights Impact Assessment. Confidential hotlines run by non-governmental orgnanisations (NGOs) for workers in our supply chain, Model Wellbeing Policy
FY 2021/22 highlights
- Global Parental Leave Policy with equalised leave for all new parents
- Time to Change Pledge
- Provided key vendors with mental health coaching sessions to support team members throughout the pandemic
- Donation to UNICEF’s COVAX Appeal

SDG 4. Quality education
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Burberry Inspire in the UK and New York, Burberry and the Burberry Foundation partnerships
FY 2021/22 highlights
- Continued donating ReBurberry Fabrics to fashion students with the British Fashion Council
- Supported a new teachers’ National Professional Qualification programme via the Teach First partnership Partnered with Marcus Rachford and charitable initiatives around the globe to provide youth with access to literacy skills and safe spaces

SDG 5. Gender equality
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
New ambition to be the best place to work for women in the industry, a skilled and balanced Board, , , endorse the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles, global Diversity and Inclusion Policy and strategy, equal Global Parental Leave Policy for all colleagues around the world
FY 2021/22 highlights
- Launched a new ambition to be the best place to work for women in the industry
- Featured as Best Performer in the inaugural FTSE Women Leaders report
- Recognised in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the second consecutive year
- Mentioned as Best Practice Leader in the European Women on Boards Gender Equality Index

SDG 6. Clean water and sanitation
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Supply chain water conservation and reduction programme
FY 2021/22 highlights
- Continued to roll-out water resilience assessments across the supply chain
- Mapped our supply chain’s potential water risks
- Worked with suppliers to assess their water resilience via our Water Partner Progress Tool
- Conducted 183 Chemical Management assessments overall

SDG 7. Affordable and clean energy
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Member of RE100 and achieved 100% renewable electricity in 2022 and encouraged our suppliers to do the same. Our target is to be Climate Positive by 2040
FY 2021/22 highlights
- Achieved 100% renewable electricity coverage across our own operational footprint Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) energy efficiency programme in Italyy

SDG 8. Decent work and economic growth
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
UK Living Wage Accreditation and steering group member of the Global Living Wage Initiative, Ethical Trading Code of Conduct, Ethical Trading Programme, Vendor Ownership Programme in UK and Italy, Responsible Business Principles, ethical trade audits
FY 2021/22 highlights
- Engaged with our supply chain partners and conducted assessments of key risk areas in our raw material supply chains
- Provided skills and capacity training programme for workers and management teams in our product manufacturing supply chain

SDG 9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Advisors to Future Fashion Factory programme, led by University of Leeds
FY 2021/22 highlights
- Design innovation, such as 3D model sampling for products
- Artificial Intelligence utilised for product ordering

SDG 10. Reduced inequalities
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Global Diversity and Inclusion Policy, Burberry and The Burberry Foundation partnerships, Oxfam Italy, Teach First, The Careers & Enterprise Company, Connectr, Burberry Inspire, The Royal College of Art, London Youth, , 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, the National Literacy Trust
FY 2021/22 highlights
- Included in Bloomberg’s Gender-Equality Index 2021 and joined Valuable 500, Business Disability Forum
- Signatory of the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles
- Winner of the Third Sector Business Charity Awards Mid-Term Partnership between the Burberry Foundation, Teach First and the Careers and Enterprise Company

SDG 11. Sustainable cities and communities
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Target to obtain sustainable building standards LEED (Platinum or Gold) and BREEAM (Excellent or Outstanding) in construction, underpinning the sustainability and efficiency of our buildings
FY 2021/22 highlights
- Issued luxury’s first Sustainability Bond, which includes green buildings criteria

SDG 12. Responsible consumption and production
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Zero operational waste sent to landfill from key sites, stretching traceability and sustainable raw material targets, The ZDHC Foundation board member, Global Canopy, Leather Working Group, Elvis & Kresse and Progetto Quid
FY 2021/22 highlights
- Committed to no destruction of unsaleable finished products, and a zero-waste mindsett across our organisation
- At least 40% of the packaging material is made from FSC TM certified paper and recycled materials, including 66 million recycled coffee cups since launch of new packaging
- 92% of Burberry leather products were made from tanneries with environmental, social and traceability certifications
- 100% of cotton was procured more sustainably
- Rolled out a Leather Refresh service globally
- Introduced a Trench Refresh service
- Digital Design Team efforts on new Aftercare page on Burberry.com

SDG 13. Climate action
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Goal to be Climate Positive by 2040, RE100 member, and 100% renewable electricity goal by 2022, Science Based Targets, Stretching traceability and sustainable raw material targets
FY 2021/22 highlights
- Launched new Climate Positive goal
- Carbon-neutral certified runway shows and events since 2019
- Achieved our 100% renewable electricity commitment and a carbon neutral footprint in our own operations globally
- Ranked by CDP in the Leadership band for Climate Change
- Recognised in the CDP Supplier Engagement Leaderboard, for our success in stimulating demand for renewable energy throughout our global supply chain.
- Advancing our climate change risk reporting as a signatory of the TCFD

SDG 14. Life below water
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
CEO is a steering committee member of The Fashion Pact
FY 2021/22 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, new Biodiversity Strategy, The Burberry Regeneration Fund), Global Canopy
FY 2021/22 highlights
- Launched new biodiversity strategy to support global conservation efforts
- New partnership with Savory Institute’s Land to Market programme, facilitating regeneration of the world’s grasslands in the leather supply chain and the livelihoods of their inhabitants
- Partnered with PUR Projet to launch a programme aimed at supporting regenerative agricultural practices
- Partnered with The Biodiversity Consultancy to apply Nature Based Solution Principles and Guidelines to Regeneration Fund projects
- Invested in the global Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest finance (LEAF) Coalition to support the end of deforestation in tropical and subtropical forest countries.
- 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 2021/22 highlights
- Celebrated Pride and continue longstanding support for LGBTQ+ communities

SDG 17. Partnerships for the goals
Burberry Ongoing Contribution
Stakeholder engagement
FY 2021/22 highlights
- Supported COVID-19 relief efforts
- In the lead-up to COP26, we contributed to UN Climate Change and Race to Zero’s “Decarbonising Fashion Milestones” document and joined the sector’s leading voices on climate to discuss net zero measures