Retailers urged to enter the Race to Zero.

 

Officeworks has joined several other leading retailers in supporting a new, UN-backed global climate change initiative – the Race to Zero Breakthroughs: Retail Campaign – led in Australia by the Business Council for Sustainable Development Australia (BCSDAustralia) in collaboration with the Australian Retailers Association (ARA). 

 

The retailers, also including IKEA and Kmart, have pledged their support to accelerate a movement in the retail industry in Australia to drive climate action and encourage other retailers to set out their plans to achieve 1.5 degree aligned carbon reduction targets. 

 

While the sector’s retail stores and company offices only represent a small part of its total emissions, it is the value chain of production, transportation, use and disposal of goods that is its biggest contributor, according to the alliance. 

 

The Race to Zero is rallying retailers to act on four ongoing requirements: 

 

A recent report showed 56 per cent of Australians are actively looking for ‘good’ brands and products from retailers that support causes or have environmentally friendly attributes that make a positive impact on social, community or environmental issues. 

 

The Race to Zero campaign will provide more transparency from local brands on how they’re supporting climate change, and how purchasing from those brands will collectively help the country to reach net-zero emissions. 

 

Sarah Hunter, managing director of Officeworks (pictured), said, “Collectively, the retail sector serves millions of Australians every day, so the choices that we make can have an enormous impact beyond what we can directly control. From powering our operations with 100 per cent renewable energy, to reducing emissions associated with how we source, design, manufacture and transport products, to helping our customers make more sustainable choices. By working together as an industry, we can demonstrate the leadership and action needed to limit the worst impacts of climate change.”