As a brand, Burberry has long balanced heritage with modernity. As consumer expectations shift toward environmental responsibility, Burberry has responded by integrating sustainability into its operational framework. Yet, with every initiative comes scrutiny. While Burberry has achieved notable progress, its sustainability efforts are not without limitations. Here, we investigate Burberry’s achievements, areas where the brand is excelling, and the gaps that reveal opportunities for further improvement.
The REBURBERRY program represents a positive step toward circularity within the luxury sector. This initiative includes the use of recycled and sustainable materials, garment repair services, and incentives to extend product life cycles. Through REBURBERRY, Burberry has also committed to carbon neutrality across its operations by 2022 and aims for net-zero emissions by 2040. The brand’s achievements in reducing emissions and sourcing 68% of materials responsibly are commendable milestones in an industry notorious for high carbon output.
While REBURBERRY has clear strengths, the brand is still behind other competitors that have set more aggressive timelines or commitments to zero-waste production. For instance, some critics argue that more comprehensive recycling programs and direct partnerships with textile recycling companies could be added to make a meaningful dent in fashion waste.
Burberry’s commitment to craftsmanship and sourcing from within the UK offers a substantial environmental advantage. Local sourcing reduces emissions from transport and supports the British textile industry, helping to preserve regional craft traditions. Burberry sources many materials domestically and collaborates with artisans across the UK, from Scottish wool suppliers to Yorkshire textile mills. The brand has also achieved a 16% reduction in operational emissions since 2018, driven partly by these local partnerships.
While local sourcing is valuable, Burberry does not manufacture all of its products in the UK. To reduce emissions further, the brand could expand its regional sourcing and manufacturing footprint. Additionally, Burberry’s partnership selection process could benefit from transparency. Offering more insights into how partners are selected or certified as sustainable could strengthen the brand’s credibility.
The Burberry Foundation has invested in skill-building programs, focusing on youth and underserved communities, which speaks to Burberry’s commitment to social impact. Through Burberry Inspire, the brand sponsors creative education for young people and supports job creation in the UK, investing in programs that encourage young people to enter creative industries. The foundation also allocates resources to community-based initiatives that nurture skill development in traditional arts and crafts.
Burberry’s support for old-world craftsmanship contributes to sustainable production practices by focusing on quality over quantity. The brand’s craftsmanship initiatives, such as hand-stitching and material longevity, encourage a move away from disposable fashion, which can reduce environmental impact over the product’s lifecycle. These practices align well with the company’s slow-fashion approach, favouring fewer, high-quality items over fast fashion’s rapid turnover.
Despite these strengths, Burberry could be more transparent about the sustainability of its production facilities, including the impact of traditional techniques on overall emissions and resource usage. By publishing data on energy use, water consumption, and waste generated by its artisan partners, Burberry could provide consumers with a clearer picture of the environmental impact of these time-honoured methods.
Burberry is super committed to it’s environmental targets, promising us they will reduce water usage, decrease waste, and cut emissions. In the last report, Burberry’s operations achieved a 7% reduction in water use and a 26% reduction in waste. For you and me, these stats don’t really mean much. What we want to see is the knock on effects of doing all these things. But we can’t disagree that the achievements do show progress and set an example within the luxury fashion industry, which has historically been slower than a Galapagous turtle who is over 100 hundred years old to adopt such goals.
Carbon Offsetting is great and all, but it’s like putting a bandaid over an oil fissure, when push comes to shove. Burberry’s reliance on carbon offsetting to meet its carbon-neutral goals is often criticised as a way to achieve compliance without addressing core operational inefficiencies. Burberry could strengthen its environmental responsibility by investing in regenerative agriculture or more direct emission-reducing technologies that minimise the need for offsets. Additionally, transitioning to 100% renewable energy across all its facilities would set Burberry apart in terms of environmental leadership. This last bit might be a bit hard, considering that not many manufacturers have the opportunity to use renewable energy as it stands right now.
One area where Burberry could improve is in the transparency of its sustainability metrics. While the brand reports key figures, such as water usage and emissions reduction, details on how these metrics are calculated and audited could benefit from greater clarity. Burberry’s commitment to responsible sourcing, including a significant portion of its materials from certified suppliers, is a promising start, but regular, detailed updates on supply chain audits and sustainability assessments would further bolster the brand’s credibility. I mean, it’s not like they don’t have the cash for it, if their yearly profit and revenue statements are anything to go by. And at £2000 a pop for some of their fashion items, one would think they could afford to hire a data scientist who knows her stuff.
Carbon Reduction: 16% reduction in operational emissions in 2018, with ongoing targets for carbon neutrality.
Sustainable Materials: 68% of materials sourced responsibly, with goals to increase this each year.
Employment and Training: Over 2,000 UK-based jobs supported, focusing on artisanship and craftsmanship.
Water and Waste Reduction: Achieved a 7% reduction in water use and a 26% reduction in waste.
Burberry’s strides in sustainability show a commendable commitment to change within the luxury fashion sector. Initiatives like REBURBERRY, local sourcing, and craftsmanship preservation reflect the brand’s dedication to environmental and social responsibility. Yet, for Burberry to really show us, the consumers, that they’re doing everything they can to make sure we look good, but also have a planet to wear all our luxury items on in the coming years, for sure they could do more.
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