Three European online retailers—Yoox Net-A-Porter, About You and Zalando—have joined hands in, what they have described as, a unique partnership to reduce carbon emissions across their value chains.
The initiative: To support their brand partners in setting climate targets aligned with science and to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, the trio will pilot an online learning platform by Autumn 2022 as part of its respective climate journey, with each having already set ambitious reduction targets through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
- The customised programme will be available to About You, Yoox Net-A-Porter and Zalando will become available to all eligible brand partners at no cost by 2023.
- The programme will provide step-by step learning on how to unlock the journey of measuring emissions, set ambitious targets that align with climate science, and submit them for approval to the Science Based Targets initiative. It will also provide a dedicated space for fashion brands to engage with one another and with sustainability experts.
Dual goals: Each of the three online retailers are committed to reducing their own direct emissions significantly, between 70% and 90% of the fashion footprint comes from upstream supply chain activities, such as material production, preparation, and processing. The initiative therefore serves two main goals: to scale climate action across the industry for a broader impact and systems transformation, whilst also contributing to reduction of the three online retailers’ own value chain (Scope 3) emissions.
- Amid calls for industry players to take an ambitious position on climate action, science-based targets validated by the SBTi are internationally recognised and provide companies with clearly defined pathways to reduce their carbon emissions while future-proofing growth, adapting to a changing regulatory landscape, boosting investor confidence, and spurring innovation.
- The antitrust-compliant initiative will be run in collaboration with Quantis, a leading environmental sustainability consultancy with climate expertise.
Looking forward, the three online retailers see potential for the platform to become an industry-wide initiative open to all interested fashion brands and retailers committed to ambitious climate action and creating a more sustainable future for fashion.
Who Said What:
Our commitment to climate action can only be realised through innovative partnership. This next step prioritises investing in brand partners at different stages in their climate journeys, supporting them to set their science-based targets. By collaborating with About You and Zalando, together we can drive a more consistent approach in our efforts towards reducing the emissions of luxury and fashion.
— Geoffroy Lefebvre
CEO
Yoox Net-A-Porter
We see an industry-changing momentum in aligning greenhouse gas emission reduction pathways with science. More than 1,500 companies had their targets approved by the SBTi as of July 2022. We have set science-based targets approved by the SBTi and are benefitting from our efforts now. 46.6% of our partners on greenhouse gas emissions had their targets approved by February 2022. We invite the remaining business partners to do the same.
— Hannes Wiese
Co-Founder & Co-CEO
About You
Decarbonising supply chains in partnership with suppliers, brands, logistics, packaging partners and now also our competitors is a powerful lever for driving meaningful change in the fashion industry. We aim for 90% of our partners (by emissions) to set science-based targets by 2025, and the new learning platform is a key initiative towards realising this ambitious goal
— David Schneider
Co-CEO
Zalando
