Luxury brand Burberry announced the launch of its new biodiversity strategy, aimed at addressing the nature-based impacts of its operations, and protecting and restoring nature beyond its own value chain.

The new strategy follows a biodiversity baseline assessment conducted by the company this year to determine the areas of its highest ecological impact. The assessment found that leather, cashmere and wool have the most significant impact on biodiversity, while also contributing a high proportion of the company’s carbon footprint.

Burberry’s biodiversity strategy will focus on three key areas, including protecting and restoring nature, expanding support for farming communities, and developing regenerative supply chains. Initiatives under the strategy will include supporting projects through the Burberry Regeneration Fund – launched in 2020 to accelerate low-carbon future solutions and invest in nature-based projects – within and beyond its own value chain, intensifying farm-level certifications and training efforts where the sources its raw materials, and applying regenerative and holistic land management practices to grazing or farming systems.

In June 2021, Burberry announced a new environmental sustainability goal, committing to becoming “Climate Positive” by 2040, going beyond the company’s net zero goal and aiming to have a positive climate impact beyond the footprint of its value chain. Burberry stated that its new biodiversity strategy builds on its climate positive commitment.

Dr. Gerry Murphy, Chair 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.”

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