This is how luxury fashion house Burberry aims to fight global warming by supporting farming communities

THE Luxury fashion house Burberry has pledged to support farming communities as it unveiled a biodiversity strategy to combat global warming.

The firm, which has made its famous products in Castleford and Keighley in West Yorkshire for 100 years, is backing a number of initiatives to support wider climate change efforts.

A spokesman said: “Building on Burberry’s recent commitment to become climate positive by 2040, the biodiversity strategy will expand the scope of its current initiatives, applying a nature-based approach in its own value chain and in areas of greatest need beyond its operations.”

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Dr Gerry Murphy, chairman of Burberry, said: “Climate change is not just a future environmental risk, it’s a socioeconomic crisis that is impacting millions around the world today.

Dr Gerry Murphy, chairman of Burberry, said: “Climate change is not just a future environmental risk, it’s a socioeconomic crisis that is impacting millions around the world today."Dr Gerry Murphy, chairman of Burberry, said: “Climate change is not just a future environmental risk, it’s a socioeconomic crisis that is impacting millions around the world today."
Dr Gerry Murphy, chairman of Burberry, said: “Climate change is not just a future environmental risk, it’s a socioeconomic crisis that is impacting millions around the world today."

“Protecting, restoring and regenerating nature is key to safeguarding the planet for generations to come, and we must be ambitious in our intentions and action-oriented in our approach.

“Burberry’s biodiversity strategy will not only address impacts in our own extended operations, but also help to create new systems to reduce biodiversity loss in the world’s greatest areas of need, making a meaningful contribution to global conservation efforts.”

According to Burberry, the biodiversity strategy will be focused on three areas.

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Firstly, it will focus on protecting and restoring nature through projects which will be supported through the Burberry Regeneration Fund.

It will also expand support for farming communities, intensifying existing efforts around farm-level certifications and training where Burberry sources raw materials.

Finally, the strategy will develop regenerative supply chains, applying “regenerative and holistic land management practices” to grazing or farming systems.

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Burberry announces new pledge to be Climate Positive by 2040

Earlier this year, Burberry completed a biodiversity baseline assessment in partnership with The Biodiversity Consultancy to assess its ecological impacts.

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The statement added: “It highlighted that leather, cashmere and wool have the most significant impact on biodiversity as well as accounting for a high proportion of Burberry’s carbon footprint.

“Burberry will apply nature-based solution principles and guidelines that it developed in partnership with The Biodiversity Consultancy to projects funded via its Regeneration Fund, ensuring natural ecosystems are protected, restored and regenerated.”

Burberry is believed to be the first luxury brand to sign up to the LEAF Coalition, which mobilises efforts to protect tropical forests, with an investment in what is expected to become the world’s largest public-private initiative providing finance to countries committed to making major reductions in tropical deforestation.

The statement added: “Through a partnership with the Savory Institute’s Land to Market programme, Burberry is also facilitating the regeneration of the world’s grasslands in the leather supply chain and the livelihoods of their inhabitants.”

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Both programmes will play an important part in global regeneration and conservation efforts, Burberry said.

The Burberry Regeneration Fund was established in 2020 to accelerate low-carbon systems and invest in nature-based projects.

Through this fund, Burberry supports a portfolio of verified carbon offsetting projects, which enable it to compensate and store carbon, promote biodiversity, help to restore ecosystems, and support the livelihoods of local communities.

Burberry is also participating in a project to implement a regenerative agricultural programme with wool producers in Australia as part of its efforts to protect the environment.

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Burberry contributes to several major forums where it shares its experiences and collaborates with others to adopt more sustainable ways of working,

These include Race to Zero, the UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, The Fashion Pact, Science Based Target Network, RE100, Canopy and the Sustainable Fibre Alliance.

In June, Burberry outlined its ambition to become Climate Positive by 2040.

To achieve this, Burberry has said it will go beyond net-zero and invest in initiatives to tackle climate change beyond its value chain.

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It is investing in a portfolio of projects that remove carbon and protect and restore natural ecosystems.

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