Primark paired its increase in scope 3 emissions with rising sales in its annual results report published earlier this week (7 November 2023).
The fashion brand’s carbon emissions increased over the past year by 11% compared to its baseline 2018/2019 financial year but noted that this rise was “as expected”.
Primark said that while its scope 1 and 2 emissions reduced, there had been an increase in scope 3 due to “an increase in the volume of materials used to produce the higher number of products sold in the period year-on-year”.
Sales rose by 17% to £9 billion over the year to 16 September, up 8.5% on a like-for-like basis, which it said had exceeded its expectations.
“In the short-term, this trend is likely to continue, but emissions will decline in time as we increase the use of more sustainably sourced materials across our product ranges,” it added.
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Outside of scope 3 emissions, the retailer is making progress in sourcing more sustainable materials and reducing emissions in its estate.
“In our own store estate, some 70% of our stores are now powered by renewable or low-carbon electricity and 141 stores have switched to energy-efficient lighting,” the retailer said.
Some 55% of all clothing units it sold last year contained recycled or more sustainably sourced materials, up from 45% last year and up from 25% since launching Primark sustainability strategy.
“This represents good progress in the delivery of our commitment that all our clothes will be made from recycled or sustainably sourced materials by 2030,” the retailer said.
In its annual report, Primark noted that 46% of its cotton clothing contains cotton that is organic, recycled or sourced from its Sustainable Cotton Programme (PSCP), up from 40% last year.
