We aim to be Climate Positive by 2040. This means we will cut our emissions across our value chain by at least 90% by 2040 (from 2019) and neutralise remaining emissions through carbon offset projects.
All our scope 1, 2 and 3 Science Based Targets are approved by the Science Based Targets initiative, the most ambitious designation available, and are aligned to the 1.5°C pathway set out in the Paris Agreement.
OUR TARGETS
REDUCING OUR SCOPE 1, 2 AND 3 EMISSIONS:
- Across our own operations, we aim for 95% reduction in scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by FY22/23 (from FY16/17) and maintain this year on year through to FY39/40
- Across our extended value chain, we aim for a 46% reduction in scope 3 carbon emissions by FY29/30 (from FY18/19)1 and a 90% reduction in scope 3 carbon emissions by FY39/40 (from FY18/19)
- Become climate positive by FY39/40 by neutralising residual emissions through carbon removal projects
EMBEDDING SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES ACROSS OUR SUPPLY CHAIN:
- Continue to extend our sustainable manufacturing initiatives - covering energy, water and waste - both within our own manufacturing and across our supply chain3
PROTECTING NATURE:
We are committed to protecting nature through materials certifications, responsible sourcing, collaborating with experts to review our strategies and investing in high-quality emissions reductions to support mitigating deforestation globally.
- We contribute to sustainable management of natural forests and support zero deforestation across our products and supply chain by 20252
1 Our scope 1, 2 & 3 targets are science-based targets that have been approved by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
2 We are working to support zero deforestation by:
Continuing to not source any leather from high-risk countries
• Responsible sourcing of viscose (100% Canopy green rated) by 2025
3 We aim to work with our supply chain partners to:
• reduce energy and carbon emissions in line with our scope 3 carbon reduction target
• increase resource efficiency and reduce & revalue waste
• reduce our water impacts, including our footprint in water scarce regions and the quality of our effluents, and promote water resilience across our value chain e.g. we aim for zero water ‘hotspots’ by 2030 (sites that are identified as the highest risk in our water assessment) and require mitigation plans for sites exposed to high risk of flooding
OUR PROGRESS HIGHLIGHTS
REDUCING OUR SCOPE 1, 2 AND 3 EMISSIONS:
- Across our own operations, we’ve achieved a 93% reduction in our scope 1 and 2 emissions in FY21/22 (vs FY16/17).
- 100% of the electricity we used in FY21/22 was from renewable sources and we are now carbon neutral across our own operations.
- Read more about our path to Climate Positive in our first emissions report here.
EMBEDDING SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES ACROSS OUR SUPPLY CHAIN:
- 18 sites in our supply chain have achieved energy reductions of at least 5% and over 70 vendors are using renewable sources of energy to reduce their carbon emissions.
- We sent zero waste to landfill from our key operations in FY21/22. These include stores, offices and manufacturing sites across the UK, Italy and Asia.
PROTECTING NATURE:
- Our signature gift boxes contain a minimum of 40% recycled materials and FSC-certified paper, supporting sustainable forestry.
- We also continue to not source any leather from high-risk countries and ensure the responsible sourcing of viscose (100% Canopy green rated)
Renewable energy
We are also a member of the RE100, a global initiative led by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP that brings together influential businesses committed to 100% renewable energy. As members of RE100, we hope to drive wider demand for low carbon power and encourage all energy providers to introduce renewable energy options.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Table
| Current reporting year 21/22 | Reporting year 20/21 | Reporting year 19/20 | ||||
| Global | UK and offshore only | Global | UK and UK offshore only |
Global | UK and UK offshore only | |
| Total energy, including energy from fuel used in vehicles / kWhTotal energy including: purchase of electricity, the operation of any facility, combustion of fuel for facilities and vehicles / kWh | 72,548,108^ | 18,517,153 | 63,293,411^ | 20,826,276 | 70,316,810 | 23,432,093 |
| Combustion of fuel and operation of facilities (scope 1) / tCO2e | 1,768^ | 1,311 | 2,089^ | 1,478 | 2,061 | 1,581 |
| Combustion of fuel use from owned or leased transport (scope 1) / tCO2e | 67 | 1 | 66 | 0 | 78 | 5 |
| Electricity purchased and used for operations (scope 2) / tCO2e | 25,866^ | 2,390 | 20,582^ | 2,934 | 22,661 | 3,400 |
| Total emissions location based (scope 1 & 2) / tCO2e | 27,701^ | 3,702 | 22,737^ | 4,412 | 24,800 | 4,986 |
| Electricity purchased and used for operations (scope 2, market-based) / tCO2e | 0^ | 0 | 1,879^ | 0 | 3,122 | 0 |
| Total emissions (scope 1 & 2, market-based) / tCO2e | 1,835 | 1,312 | 4,034^ | 1,478 | 5,261 | 1,586 |
| Total emissions offset by Verified Emissions Reduction Certificates / tCO2e | 1,835 | 1,312 |
2,089^ | 1,478 | 1,072 | 815 |
| Scope 1 and 2 intensity (location-based tCO2e per £1,000,000 sales revenue) | 9.8% | N/A | 9.7^ | n/a | 9.4 | n/a |
| % of energy from renewable sources | 86%^ | 61% | 76%^ | 61% | 82% | 81% |
Burberry applies an operational control approach to defining its organisational boundaries. Data is reported for sites where it is considered that Burberry has the ability to influence energy management. Data is not reported for sites where Burberry has a physical presence but does not influence the energy management for those sites, such as a concession within a department store. Overall, the emissions inventory reported equates to 92% of our net selling space square footage. Burberry uses the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (using a location and market-based approach to reporting scope 2 emissions) to estimate emissions and applies conversion factors from Defra, IEA and RE-DISS. All material sources of emissions are reported. Refrigerant gases were deemed not material and are not reported. [Market-based emissions globally and for the UK relating to electricity purchased and used for operations (scope 2) is stated as 0 due to 100% of electricity being procured from renewable sources]. Combustion of fuel use from owned or leased transport is reported from FY 2018/19 onwards. Burberry has updated GHG data for FY 2020/21 and FY 2019/20 to account for updated emission factors and improvements in data availability and estimation methods. GHG emissions data reported is based on the period from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company’s financial accounting period is from 28 March 2021 to 02 April 2022. However, references to FY 2021/22 for the selected KPIs included in the Responsibility section of Burberry’s Annual Report 2021/22 refer to the period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.
^ Information subject to assurance is denoted with a ^. PwC’s assurance report and Burberry’s basis of reporting for assured data are available on Burberryplc.com/en/responsibility/approach-to-responsibility.html.
Further information about Burberry’s basis of reporting is available here.
Please see the Annual Report for details on external assurance.
Balancing emissions
For the GHG emissions that we cannot reduce directly, and to meet our Climate Positive targets, we are investing in nature-based solutions through our Regeneration Fund.
We take a portfolio approach to investing, focusing on both external removal and avoidance projects, as well as insetting initiatives. For our inaugural supply chain project, we partnered with PUR Projet to design and implement regenerative agricultural practices with wool producers in our supply chain in Australia. The project works at farm level to improve carbon capture in soils, improve watershed and soil health, and promote biodiverse habitats. The initiative in Australia has successfully completed its first year, and more farms will be added to scale the project globally over the next few years.
Promoting renewables
We are passionate advocates of renewable energy use and in FY 2021/22 we met our target to source 100%^ of our electricity from renewable source, meeting our target of using 100% renewable electricity in our own operations by 2022.
We are an active member of RE100, a global initiative committed to 100% renewable electricity. As a signatory to RE100 we promote the use of renewables in our supply chain and have created a bespoke renewable energy guide for our Italian suppliers. In 2021, Burberry was ranked by CDP in the Leadership band for climate change and was recognised in the CDP Supplier Engagement Leaderboard, for our success in stimulating demand for renewable energy throughout our global supply chain.
Influencing suppliers
Ensuring our supply chain partners share our ambition for a net-zero future is crucial in achieving meaningful change at scale. In 2021, we launched a programme in partnership with the Apparel Impact Institute to establish a platform for Italian manufacturers to coordinate, fund and scale environmental programmes with measurable impact. Working alongside two fellow luxury brand partners, the initiative demonstrates a shared ambition to pursue a collective mission to make fashion’s supply chains more sustainable.
We support UN Climate Change’s efforts in the fashion industry. . In the lead-up to COP26, we contributed to UN Climate Change and Race to Zero’s “Decarbonising Fashion Milestones” document, which sets out short, medium and long-term actions required for the fashion and apparel sector to reach net zero. The document aims to find solutions to some of the toughest questions on the road to a more resilient, zero carbon future. To mark the launch, we joined the sector’s leading voices on climate to discuss what it will take to reach net zero, from accelerating decarbonisation solutions to financing the transition and making the 1.5°C target easy to understand for customers.