SUPPORTING SUPPLY CHAIN PARTNERS
We partnered with Fox & Lillie and PUR Projet to design and implement regenerative agricultural practices with wool producers in Australia.
The project works at the farm level to improve carbon capture in soils, enhance watershed and soil health, and promote biodiverse habitats. The programme initially launched with wool producers that are part of Fox & Lillie and Burberry’s shared value chain. Participants included Allan, whose family has been farming since the 1890s.
“We decided to come on board with Burberry and join the programme because it fitted with our goals and our plans for the future. We are just at the beginning of implementing our grazing plan that will allow more rest for our plants with the aim of improving our plants and soil health.”– Allan, first year programme participant located in New South Wales, Australia
The initiative has successfully completed its first year and Allan has made a number of improvements to his farm. These include better fencing to increase control over grazing and enhance pasture productivity, as well as more efficient water distribution by investing in three new bores equipped with solar pumps to transfer water across the entire farm.
More farms will be added to scale the project globally over the next few years, with 12 wool producing farms involved by the end of 2023.
USING 100% RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY IN OUR OPERATIONS
To cut emissions, our initial focus is energy efficiency and using less energy-intensive processes. Alongside that is procuring 100% renewable electricity in our own operations which we have already achieved.
We are longstanding members of RE100, a global initiative of more than 300 influential companies committed to using 100% renewable electricity. Our approach to renewable energy includes increasing our use of renewable electricity through green tariffs, on-site solar panels in our distribution centres and offices and renewable energy certificates.
For example, we have solar panels in our manufacturing sites in Italy as well as our London headquarters and procure green electricity from solar panels on our US distribution site. We are currently planning to install more solar panels across our distribution and manufacturing sites in the UK. Currently, all the electricity we use in our direct operations in Europe and the United Kingdom is covered by a green-tariff contract. These two countries represent approximately 38% of Burberry’s overall global electricity use.
By increasing the use of electricity from renewable sources, we also increase market demand across other organisations. This can create better access to renewable energy sources in regions where there are barriers to clean energy procurement.