Burberry Set to Become Climate Positive by 2040
The British luxury brand aim to save more greenhouse gas emissions than they release, in a bold move towards environmentalism.
The British luxury brand aim to save more greenhouse gas emissions than they release, in a bold move towards environmentalism.
Today, Burberry has announced its pledge to become climate positive by 2040, setting a new industry standard in the process that levels up from the brand’s current 2040 net-zero target. But what does 'climate positive' actually mean? It means saving more greenhouse gas emissions that the company currently releases. Burberry aims to reduce their emissions by 46% by 2030 (meaning the brand will be aligned with the 1.5°C pathway set out in the Paris Agreement).
'Burberry was built upon a desire to explore nature and the great outdoors and they have remained our inspiration for more than 150 years. 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,' said Marco Gobbetti, chief executive officer at Burberry.
Burberry also plans to invest in programmes that protect and restore natural ecosystems that remove carbon from the atmosphere, funding climate resilience programmes, and advocating for change within the fashion industry (by partnering with NGOs, peers and policymakers).
As part of their environmentalist work, Burberry are supporting the Forest for Change, a UN Global Goals installation created by British designer Es Devlin for the 2021 London Design Biennale. From 1 - 27 June 2021, the courtyard of Somerset House in London will be transformed into a forest, inviting visitors to discover the 17 UN Global Goals.
The Forest is created from 400 juvenile trees, individually selected for their differing forms. Species have been selected with the aim of ensuring future resilience to the ever-changing London environment, and the trees will be replanted in London boroughs after they have graced the Somerset House courtyard, creating a durable legacy. As part of this experience, visitors will be invited to record a short message expressing the change they wish to see in the world. This will be instantly added to a participatory music installation composed by Robert M Thomas, and will become part of ‘Voices for Change’, a Google Arts & Culture Lab collaboration bringing together the voices and passions of people from across the world in an interactive online experience for the Goals. Time to go see some educational art!
