The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is aiming for the industry and its supply chains to reach Net Zero sustainability by 2040, with stores and warehouses powered by net zero electricity by 2030.

The BRC climate action roadmap outlines steps to decarbonise retail, with over 60 leading retailers committing resources to delivering the new roadmap, it says.

“The UK has an opportunity to rebuild a fairer, more sustainable economy in a post-pandemic era, which starts by cutting carbon emissions,” the BRC said.

The effort follows an announcement made earlier in the year when 20 major retailers signed a declaration to develop the climate action roadmap to tackle the causes of climate change.

“We believe that with vital support from government, the retail industry can decarbonise stores by 2030, deliveries by 2035 and products by 2040,” said the BRC.

In the future to help the effort, said the BRC, customers can expect anything from algae-based carbon-absorbing clothes and shops and cafes powered by energy captured from customers’ footsteps, to drone delivery and products printed at home by 3D printers.


The climate action roadmap sets out five areas of action:

-Putting decarbonisation at the core of all business decision making

-Reducing carbon emissions from shops and distribution centres

-Moving to net zero logistics operations

-Increasing sustainably sourced products

-Helping customers and employees to live low-carbon lifestyles

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “By 2040, we want every UK customer to be able to make purchases - in-store and online - safe in the knowledge they are not contributing to global warming.”

She said: “Never before has an entire industry been so ambitious in tackling climate change."

"Retail is the critical gateway between vast international supply chains and every one of us as citizens. We have a fantastic opportunity to make a real global difference if we can all work collectively."

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