Retailers are realising their important role in reducing Australia’s carbon emissions
The latest Net Zero Momentum Tracker report assesses the emissions-reductions commitments and activities of 23 leading Australian retail companies.
Prepared by Climateworks with the Monash Sustainability Development Institute, the retail report is part of a series focusing on major sectors of the Australian economy as part of the Net Zero Momentum Tracker initiative. The Tracker is designed to bring together and evaluate climate action commitments in order to help local governments build momentum towards net zero emissions.
The retail sector is Australia’s second largest employer after healthcare, determines consumer choices and affects suppliers, producers and manufacturers across many economic sectors. The report finds that approximately four in five companies assessed are undertaking activities to reduce emissions or have a stated commitment to do so but that no company has yet made a comprehensive commitment that lines up with net zero by 2050.
Key findings from this assessment of 23 leading Australian retail companies are:
- None have made a comprehensive net zero emissions by 2050 commitment.
- Two of the companies – Amazon and Kathmandu – have net zero by 2050 commitments for a significant proportion of their value chain emissions, and have the most ambitious commitments of
those assessed. - An additional almost nine per cent of companies – that is, Aldi and Woolworths – do not have a net zero by 2050 commitment, but have set interim targets to reduce their value chain emissions that are compatible with this goal.
