Tackling the climate crisis

As a leading retailer, we know we must play our part in tackling the climate crisis, so we’re taking action in our own operations and within our wider supply chain to reduce our carbon footprint. 

Workstream Objectives

• Achieve Net zero operational emissions by 2035 (scope 1&2)*

• Make an absolute reduction of 46% by 2030 compared to 2019 (scope 1&2)*

• Reduce our own brand scope 3 emissions by 30% by 2030 from a 2019 baseline*

Reducing Our Emissions 

We aim to be Net zero in out own operations by 2035. So far we have reduced our emissions by 18% since 2019 

Check out our Map to Net Zero guiding us on our journey:  

Wider Supply Chain

Emissions in our wider value chain, including the products we sell, account for 97% of our total emissions.

Alongside other UK retailers, we’re working with Manufacture 2030 to measure the emissions of our wider supply chain. As part of this initiative, own-brand suppliers such as Morrisons are encouraged to reduce the greenhouse emissions associated with the sourcing, manufacture and transportation of their products. In 2023 we also joined forces with WRAP and 7 other major retailers to form the Net Zero Collaboration Action Programme, aiming to standardise measurement and reporting of GHG emissions from food and drink. 

We measure and report on our Scope 3 footprint every 2 years, this was last measured for 2021. We have a target to reduce our value chain emissions of our own brand products by 30% by 2030. So far we have achieved over a 10% reduction against our 2019 baseline, we will report on our Scope 3 footprint and progress again next year in 2024.

As British farming’s biggest supermarket customer, we’re in a strong position to lead changes in environmental practice. We’ve set an ambition to be the first supermarket to be directly supplied by net-zero carbon British farms by 2030. Net Zero products will be sourced directly from our British farmers into our food making sites for own brand products and will include beef, pork, lamb, potatoes and eggs.

We’re proud to be a signatory to the British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) Climate Change Roadmap, which sets key milestones for our industry. Our climate targets have been validated and approved by the Science Based Target initiative as being in line with climate science.

Lower Impact Stores

Little Clacton is our first “lower impact” store. It aims to emit 43% less carbon than a standard Morrisons store.

The store is 100% electrically powered with no gas, and includes next- generation fridges powered by CO2 from agricultural waste, rooftop solar panels to provide a fifth of its energy use, and rainwater harvesting for toilet flushing.

It has a near zero-waste back-of-house system, facilities to recycle customers’ waste and stocks a significant number of loose and locally sourced products. It has 20 electric vehicle charging stations for customers, offering charging speeds from 15 minutes to eight hours.

As well as low-impact design and less packaging and waste, the store also includes a range of biodiversity schemes and offers more healthy and nutritious foods, and more support to the local community.

Our Contribution 

* On Scope 1 and 2 emissions Morrisons is making the move to help limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, in line with the highest ambition of the international Paris Agreement - to limit temperature rises to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Morrisons Scope 3 emissions will follow a well below 2 degrees pathway.