Zalando sets science-based targets to reduce CO2 emissions by 80%

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jun 2, 2020

E-tail giant Zalando is continuing its fast drive towards a sustainable future and said on Tuesday that it has become the first platform worldwide to set science-based targets (SBTs) to reduce carbon emissions in line with the 1.5 degrees Celsius Paris Agreement figure.

It means that by 2020, 80% of the carbon emissions from its own operations and 40% from private label production will be eliminated. And it want to “positively impact the entire value chain”, committing to “having 90% of key partners set SBTs” as well.

The news follows an announcement last week that it was making sustainability assessments mandatory for its private labels and its partner brands.

As regards the latest move, the company said that its platform model and scale, means the commitment to the targets “has the potential to affect a large share of the fashion industry and the majority of Zalando’s partners”.

“Having our science-based targets approved is an important milestone for our sustainability strategy. We believe there is a clear link between sustainability and continued commercial success in selling fashion online,” said Director of Sustainability Kate Heiny. 

“The global coronavirus situation has shown us how flexible and fast the economy can be when change is needed, and this should be used as a blueprint when it comes to sustainability. Now is the time for a clear sustainability strategy and ambitious goals. As a platform we want to do more and thus did not limit our science-based targets to our own business, but will join forces with our partners.”