Burberry pledges to be climate positive by 2040

Burberry has pledged to become climate positive by 2040, going further than its earlier target to be net-zero by that same year.

The company said it is the first luxury brand to set out the goal, which it will achieve by investing in key initiatives “to support wider climate change efforts beyond its value chain”.

The British luxury brand said as part of the target it aims to cut emissions across its extended supply chain by 46 percent by 2030 - ahead of an earlier 30 percent target.

The company said it will invest in “nature-based projects” that protect and restore natural ecosystems that remove carbon from the atmosphere, as well as “climate resilience projects” that empower vulnerable, frontline communities.

Burberry announces new sustainability targets

“Burberry was built upon a desire to explore nature and the great outdoors and they have remained our inspiration for more than 150 years,” said Burberry CEO Marco Gobbetti in a release.

“Drawing on this heritage of exploration and driven by our creative spirit, today, we are setting a bold new ambition: to become climate positive by 2040. As a company, we are united by our passion for being a force for good in the world.”

Burberry also announced its support for the Fashion Avengers, a coalition of global fashion organisations working together to promote action towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As part of this, Burberry is supporting the Forest for Change, a UN Global Goals installation created by British designer Es Devlin for the 2021 London Design Biennale.