In the run up to COP26 in Glasgow, the UN labelled 2021 as the make it or break it year for climate action. COP26 was the largest COP to date with 120 world leaders and more than 38,000 participants attending representing 194 countries. Its aim was to keep alive the hope of limiting the rise in the global temperature to 1.5c.
Retail was one industry that was under the spotlight during COP26. The industry is facing an unprecedented challenge to go greener and the criticism it is facing by the media, campaigners as well as its consumers does not appear to be waning as Christmas approaches.
According to Venetia La Manra, a fair fashion campaigner and podcaster, consumers spend approximately £3.5 million on festive party clothing and about 8 million of those items get sent to landfill after just one wear. Last Friday was the UK’s Christmas Jumper Day with consumers spending around £220 million on Christmas jumpers with 1 in 4 jumpers ending up in landfill.
Retail is under huge pressure to build a low carbon sector despite other current problems it faces such as Covid19 and the continuing closures on the high street. Action does seem to be increasing in the industry with big players making promises and new initiatives being established:
H&M, IKEA and Walmart amongst others launched the Race to Zero Breakthroughs: Retail Campaign in July calling on retailers everywhere to take ambitious climate action and set out their plans to achieve 1.5 degree aligned carbon reduction targets
during COP26, the five big supermarkets promised to halve the environmental impact of the food shop by 2030 by reducing deforestation and carbon emissions during production and reducing food waste and packaging.
the Government through its UK Business Climate Hub is encouraging all SMEs, not just those in the retail industry, to take small and practical steps to cut their emissions by reconsidering their targets in a green way and commit to become net-zero by 2050 at the latest
the Retail Sector Council also launched a national initiative this year called Green Street which is an online hub which encourages retailers, however small, to go green by cutting their carbon footprint and establish planet friendly shopping
Practicable tips to SME retail businesses include:
produce more sustainable products for their customers to buy
stock local products where possible
remove and/or improve packaging
increase product lifespans and offer repairs and returns more easily
go paperless for receipts
Environmentally friendly practices were seen by SMEs as an additional and unnecessary cost. Attitudes appear to be changing as investors and consumers are looking for greener options. Requests for copies of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) policies are becoming standard in the commercial and legal due diligence process meaning this is the time for businesses to review current policies and practices. Whether or not the ambitious targets set at COP26 will be met remains to be seen but the green challenges facing industries and businesses is here to stay and should not be ignored.
