UK retailers have halved carbon emissions since 2005

UK retailers have exceeded 2020 carbon reduction targets, according to data released by the British Retail Consortium.

The shows that carbon emissions have fallen by 49% since 2005, against a target of a 25% absolute reduction.

Meanwhile, carbon emissions in stores and store deliveries fell 46% and 84% respectively (when controlled for growth).

These targets form part of the BRC’s Climate Action Roadmap whereby over 70 lretailers have pledged to help the UK retail industry and its supply chain reach Net Zero by 2040.

Steve Murrells, Co-op Group CEO, will chair the steering group of the Climate Action Roadmap that aims to drive forward these targets.

The steering group includes CEOs and senior executives from the likes of Sainsbury’s, Iceland, IKEA, Mountain Warehouse, Dunelm and Feelunique and will establish and oversee the strategy and progress in getting the UK retail industry to Net Zero by 2040.

This work is supported by five partnerships – one for each focus area of the Roadmap – with Crown Estate, DP World, Google, IBM and PWC.

Murrells says: “Global society is facing a monumental climate crisis, entirely of its own making. We must all recognise that we are in part responsible and that we all have to do more to foster change and do it more quickly.”

“The global response to the pandemic has shown us what we can achieve when the need is great and urgent enough. The required levels of co-operation needed to tackle climate change are unprecedented and the BRC Roadmap will help unify UK retailers around a common purpose.”

“Building on our own climate commitments to get to Net Zero by 2040 at the latest, I’m honoured to be leading the Climate Action Roadmap steering group to help bring about bold and collective action across our industry and play a part in making things fairer for our planet.”

“It’s also a matter of pride that it’s the UK retail sector that is going first and leading the world with this type of collaboration.”