British luxury fashion house Burberry announces biodiversity strategy

12 Nov '21

3 min read

Pic: Burberry Group Plc

UK’s Burberry has announced its biodiversity strategy to support global conservation efforts and take action to protect nature, helping to slow further global warming as part of the transition towards the 1.5°C pathway. Its focus areas are protecting and restoring nature; expanding support for farming communities; and developing regenerative supply chains.

Aligned to the ARRRT (Avoid, Reduce, Restore & Regenerate, Transform) framework, the strategy covers four impact areas that build upon Burberry’s long-established programmes. The company is striving to avoid negative impacts on biodiversity, conservation or the environment; and reducing its impact on biodiversity through the responsible sourcing of key raw materials and ensuring key materials are traceable, certified or recycled by 2025, the company said in a media release.

The company will also work towards restoring ecosystems within Burberry’s own value chain, working with key partners such as Land to Market at the Savory Institute and the Sustainable Fibre Alliance; and accelerating solutions to drive change and protect vulnerable ecosystems beyond Burberry’s own value chain through active participation in The Fashion Pact and UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action.

This year, Burberry completed a biodiversity baseline assessment in partnership with The Biodiversity Consultancy to determine its highest ecological impacts. It highlighted that leather, cashmere and wool have the most significant impact on biodiversity as well as accounting for a high proportion of Burberry’s carbon footprint. Burberry will apply Nature Based Solution Principles and Guidelines that it developed in partnership with The Biodiversity Consultancy to projects funded via its Regeneration Fund, ensuring natural ecosystems are protected, restored and regenerated.

Beyond its value chain, Burberry is the first luxury brand to sign up to the LEAF Coalition with an investment in what is expected to become the world’s largest public-private initiative providing results-based finance to countries committed to making ambitious reductions in tropical deforestation. Through a partnership with the Savory Institute’s Land to Market programme, Burberry is also facilitating the regeneration of the world’s grasslands in the leather supply chain and the livelihoods of their inhabitants. Both programmes will play an important part in global regeneration and conservation efforts.

“Protecting, restoring and regenerating nature is key to safeguarding the planet for generations to come, and we must be ambitious in our intentions and action-oriented in our approach. Burberry’s biodiversity strategy will not only address impacts in our own extended operations, but also help to create new systems to reduce biodiversity loss in the world’s greatest areas of need, making a meaningful contribution to global conservation efforts,” said Dr Gerry Murphy, chair of Burberry.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)

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