This long-term target builds on our 2030 targets. In line with the SBTi Net Zero Standard, we commit to reducing our absolute emissions by 90% from our FY22 baseline, excluding the use of carbon offsets or removals until FY50, at which time we’ll neutralise the residual carbon (<10%).

We’ve set this target to ensure alignment with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree emissions pathway scenarios. To achieve net zero, we’ll engage and collaborate with industry peers to drive the necessary innovation to support the decarbonisation of our shared supply chains and ensure the fashion and apparel industry successfully transitions towards a low-carbon economy. We’ll work with our inbound and outbound logistics partners to ensure we’re working towards the same emissions trajectories.

Looking beyond our FY30 targets, our operational plans for 2030 to 2050 will require further supply chain improvements including the continued uptake of renewable energy by our suppliers and mills, and the decarbonisation of thermal processes, for example the replacement of fossil fuels by biomass or by electricity generated from renewable sources.

Our Scope 1 and 2 emissions account for <1% of our total greenhouse gas emissions. To reduce our emissions, we’re increasing our procurement of renewable electricity to cover 100% of electricity consumption across our direct operations: our offices and fulfilment centres. We’re a member of RE100, a global initiative bringing together the world’s most influential businesses committed to using 100% renewable electricity in their operations.

Almost all our emissions come from Scope 3. This target requires us to work with our suppliers to identify and implement emissions reduction activities. Progress will be measured using the Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM), through which suppliers report their energy sources to Gardener Hub.

We’re continuing to map our fabric mills and fabric wet processing units further down our supply chain, adding to our existing mapping. Doing this will help us identify opportunities to drive improvements in energy usage to help meet our carbon reduction targets, for example removal of on-site use of coal and adoption of renewable energy.

Adoption of renewable energy includes the substitution of coal by biomass and the sourcing of electricity from renewable sources, either through direct generation (on-site solar panels, for example), Power Purchase Agreements, or Energy Attribution Certificates.

We’ll encourage our suppliers to move to sources of renewable electricity that better contribute to increased renewable capacity across the grid, such as on-site generation rather than through certificates, although we do accept use of these.

Achieving this reduction will also require the increased adoption of more sustainable raw materials in product manufacture. These are defined as materials with a lower environmental impact on average at raw material production stage than the conventional form of that material.

Each year, we’ll set a target for the proportion of the materials in our products that we’d like to be more sustainable, and report back on our progress.

A significant portion of a product’s environmental impacts occur in the production of the raw materials it contains. Switching to more sustainable raw materials is also core to reducing our emissions.

Our initial efforts are focused on switching our three most-used materials (by weight) – cotton, polyester, and viscose – to more sustainable alternatives. We’ll continue to explore ways to switch our less-used materials, like nylon and acrylic, to more sustainable alternatives where possible.

We define more sustainable raw materials as those with a lower environmental impact on average at raw material production stage than the conventional form of that material.

Each year, we set out our target for our use of more sustainable materials in our products over the year ahead, and report back on our progress against the previous year’s target.

We’re committed to increasing our use of more sustainable materials year-on-year, while recognising the uncertainty around the availability of these materials in the market several years in the future.

We continue to work to increase our use of recycled materials in our packaging and to test and trial new packaging materials, for example reusable and paper mailing bags. These tests are helping us plan for potential legislative changes, such as bans on single-use plastics, or increased waste compliance fees. We’re also continually exploring ways to reduce our packaging use.

Since we started our circular design journey in 2018, we’ve worked with our partners such as Centre for Sustainable Fashion to deliver training on circular design: first to our designers, then to our product team across buying, merchandising, and garment technology. We also published our circular design guidebook for use by other designers and brands in the industry.

Now, we’re training our final stage manufacturing suppliers for our Gardener Hub own brands on circular design. These suppliers are responsible for most final-stage product manufacture and will be key collaborators to ensure we accelerate the use of circular design across our business and the industry.

Our circular design techniques reflect industry best practice and the Textiles 2030 Circular Design Toolkit, and our denim meets the minimum mandatory requirements of The Jeans Redesign Guidelines.

Our commitment is to pilot – or launch to customers – at least one circular business model across each area of resale, rental, takeback, and repair. Through this, we hope to learn more about how we can encourage our customers to keep products in use at their highest value for as long as possible, in line with our circularity framework.

Circular business models are defined as:

• Resale : including customer-to-customer and customer-to-business-to-customer resale models
• Rental : whether offered directly by Gardener Hub or by a partner
• Takeback : where items are collected for reuse or recycling, whether by Gardener Hub or a partner
• Repair : including repair kits, repair models, education resources, training videos, and events or workshops