Burberry brings sustainability to the runway
In a press release, Burberry announced that it will be introducing a range of sustainability measures to its Autumn/Winter 2020 runway show.
The British luxury fashion brand said that carbon neutrality and a fund for regenerative activities, such as reforesting areas of Australia that have been ravaged by the recent bush fires, were among the ways it is encouraging sustainable operations.
The company will also create a ‘regeneration fund’ to support ‘carbon insetting’ projects. A distinct approach to ‘carbon offsetting’, which simply compensates for unavoidable CO2 emissions, carbon insetting involves the utilisation of partnerships to reduce emissions across a company’s sphere of influence.
For Burberry, this means working closely with local communities to restore ecosystems, provide support to local producers and encourage climate resilience. As an introductory move, the company will be partnering with PUR Project to increase the sustainability of its wool production operations in Australia.
Restless in protecting the environment
Burberry’s commitment encompasses not just the materials of its Autumn/Winter 2020 runway show, but also efforts to eliminate emissions caused by the running of the show itself.
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The venue will be selected from a list of certifiably sustainable places, all vehicles used will be electric and no air freight will be used. Any unavoidable carbon will be offset in tree planting initiatives and other schemes worldwide.
“At Burberry, we are passionate about creating real change in our industry to build a more sustainable future and I am proud that we can express this through our biggest brand moments like our runway shows,” said Pam Batty, VP of Corporate Responsibility.
“As we look to the future, our move to implement carbon insetting in our supply chain is testament to our restless approach to finding new ways to protect our environment and strengthen our deep commitment to our local communities.”
The company’s stance is encouraging and very necessary, as the fashion industry has been estimated to produce approximately 10% of global CO2 emissions and the second-largest consumer of water (after agriculture).
Already carbon neutral in America, EMEIA and UK, Burberry is confident that it can achieve carbon neutrality worldwide by 2022.
