Today, Selfridges (alongside the wider Selfridges Group) has committed to significantly accelerating its target to achieve net zero carbon across its business to 2040 by signing The Climate Pledge – a commitment co-founded by Amazon and Global Optimism to act on the climate emergency and meet the Paris Agreement 10 years early.
Following over a decade of retail activism, from banning fur in 2005, to signing the Fashion Pact in 2019, to removing plastic-based cosmetic glitter in 2021, Selfridges launched the next phase of its sustainability strategy Project Earth in 2020. With a vision to reinvent retail, through Project Earth Selfridges pledges to change the way we shop and the way it does business, underpinned by Science-Based Targets (scopes 1, 2 and 3) and a commitment to net-zero carbon.
Through Project Earth, Selfridges is taking bold action on the climate emergency across three themes; ensuring the most environmentally impactful materials it uses come from certified, sustainable sources by 2025, pioneering new circular business models and experiences across resale, rental, refill, and repair, and using its platform to engage and inspire the mindsets of its partners, customers and teams.
Andrew Keith, Managing Director of Selfridges, said: “Selfridges exists to imagine and create a sustainable future for our customers. This strong sense of purpose is at the heart of everything we do and over the last 16 years, we have taken ground-breaking steps to reinvent retail. However, we know that we need to change the way we shop and the way we do business to urgently address the climate emergency. By coming together with Amazon, Global Optimism and the signatories of the Climate Pledge, we believe we can co-create meaningful change and unite behind positive, solution-led environmentalism.”
Christiana Figueres, Founding Partner of Global Optimism, commented: “The recent report released by the IPCC is the starkest warning yet that the systems supporting human life are reaching tipping points and that the window of time to act decisively is narrowing,” said Christiana Figueres, the UN’s former climate chief and now founding partner of Global Optimism. “This wake up call from science must be faced with courage and conviction. In this light, it’s encouraging that 86 more companies – some of the largest household names in the world – are now joining The Climate Pledge, committing to accelerate their actions to tackle climate change in a timely fashion, and playing their part in building a low-carbon economy. I look forward to the fruits of the leadership we will see from this collective of 200 signatories that are now part of The Climate Pledge.”
Last month, Selfridges marked the first anniversary of Project Earth by publishing a Progress Update that sets out its highlights and hurdles throughout the last 12 months. In early 2022, Selfridges will publish its first full Sustainability Report.
For more information on Project Earth, please visit: www.selfridges.com/GB/en/features/project-earth/commitments/
Notes to Editors:
As a signatory of the Climate Pledge, Selfridges will:
- Measure and report greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis.
- Implement decarbonization strategies in line with the Paris Agreement through real business change and innovations, including efficiency improvements, renewable energy, materials reductions, and other carbon emission elimination strategies.
- Take actions to neutralize any remaining emissions with additional, quantifiable, real, permanent, and socially beneficial offsets to achieve net zero annual carbon emissions by 2040.
About Selfridges’ carbon reduction targets
Selfridges set Science Based Targets (scopes 1,2 and 3) in 2020, which have been validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative[1]. Selfridges is committed to achieving net-zero carbon across its business by 2040.
Selfridges’ stores are powered by 100% green energy (electricity and gas) and it is focussing on driving down waste and energy consumption year on year.
Selfridges has retained the Carbon Trust triple standard for carbon, water and waste since 2014.
[1] We will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions from our stores and offices by 64% (from a 2018/19 baseline) by 2030. This target has been approved by the Science-Based Targets Initiative as consistent with what the latest climate science has told us is needed to prevent the most damaging effects of climate change (to keep warming to 1.5°c.).
We also commit to reducing absolute scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services 30% by 2030 from a 2018 base year, and that 10% of our suppliers by emissions covering logistics and capital goods will have science-based targets by 2024.
