The UK Retail 2025 Net Zero Stocktake report uses a new footprinting methodology underpinned by real-world data, which helps to reinforce the need for brands and retailers to step up collaboration across the value chain (scope 3 emissions from supply chains and customer use) and beyond to reduce emissions in order to meet net zero.
The survey has highlighted that 91% of retail respondents have an established GHG emissions baseline and publicly report emissions, four in five drivers trained in fleets use fuel efficiency programmes and 90% of all new retail buildings are lit by LEDs.
However, despite these promising advancements, the survey also uncovered that only a third (30%) of the very biggest suppliers provide GHG emissions data and 70% of products do not have information for consumers on responsible sourcing.
The survey stated that progress in these areas has been held up “by systemic challenges, including policy uncertainty, supply chain complexity, financial pressures and technological limitations”.
Helen Dickinson, CEO of the BRC, said: “In 2020, we launched the Climate Action Roadmap to set the ambition for UK retail to reach net zero by 2040. Five years on, we must use the takeaways from this report to drive the industry from collective ambition to a step change in collaborative action.
“The climate emergency is no longer tomorrow’s problem. It is here today; disrupting supply chains, driving shortages, increasing costs for households – and threatening the long-term stability and resilience of UK retail. Climate change is a very real risk to businesses, and the consequences of inaction are simply too big to ignore. We need more radical collaboration between companies to bring down emissions and step up the drive to net zero.”