UK digital fashion and homewares retailer N Brown has set a 2030 commitment to reduce its direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by almost half.

And its near-term, science-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets have been endorsed by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which assesses companies’ targets and ensures that they are in line with the latest climate science under the Paris Climate Agreement. 

By 2030, the group has committed to reduce scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions from its operations by 46% from a 2021 base year. Scope 1&2 covers operations such as electricity at its distribution centres and head office, while scope 3 refers to emissions in N Brown’s supply chain, such as energy usage by its product manufacturing partners.

N Brown said these targets are part of its wider sustainability strategy, SUSTAIN, which includes the group’s ambition to achieve net zero emissions by 2040 under the British Retail Consortium’s Climate Action Roadmap.

Sarah Welsh, CEO of Retail at the firm, said: “We believe online fashion should be sustainable, which is why our sustainability strategy is at the core of our business strategy.

“We’re committed to our key long-term goals of ensuring that all our own brand products are sustainable by 2030 through our partnership with Textiles 2030,  and to becoming net zero by 2040.

She added: “N Brown has taken a significant step forward in our net zero ambitions by achieving approval from the SBTi, and we look forward to continuing to make positive changes to minimise our climate impact.”