The Retailer Autumn Edition 2021

WHAT COULD A LOW-CARBON RETAIL FUTURE LOOK LIKE?

Helen Dickinson OBE Chief Executive British Retail Consortium

While COP26 may be behind us, it is vital that we continue to build the low-carbon retail industry of tomorrow. Imagine a future where the environmental impact of every purchase is calculated and scored for us. A future where our receipt offers us not only the financial cost of our purchases, but its carbon footprint as well. Could we reach a place where we all refill our wine bottles instead of buying a new one? Where we recycle our old clothes along with our glass bottles? Where we repair our broken-down electronics rather than replace them? Where waste is frowned upon and packaging is shunned? We’re not there yet, but retailers are already exploring many of these ideas, trialling refill zones, drone delivery, deposit return schemes and more. The speed of change in the retail industry remains breakneck, but it is essential that we guide this change to support a more sustainable lifestyle. Since 2020, over 70 leading retailers have come together under the banner of the BRC’s Climate Action Roadmap, which aims to make the retail industry, including its supply chains, carbon neu - tral by 2040. Given retail accounts for over 30% of all carbon emissions in the UK, there is both a huge opportunity and massive responsibility on the industry to act. It will need action from suppliers, retailers, and customers working in partnership. Customers want brands to help them live sustainably. They expect retailers to help guide them on the path to living a low carbon lifestyle, but many believe brands make it harder, not easier. This is why the BRC and PwC teamed up to create a guide for retailers on how they can empower their customers to make positive changes towards lower carbon lifestyles. Changing the way we operate is never easy, but retailers are determined to use the next two decades to bring about the low-carbon future the world needs.

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Since 2020, over 70 leading retailers have come together under the banner of the BRC’s Climate Action Roadmap, which aims to make the retail industry, including its supply chains, carbon neu- tral by 2040.”