Morrisons has strengthened its climate strategy with a renewed commitment to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its entire value chain by 2050, setting out one of the most comprehensive science-based pathways currently in the UK grocery sector, it says.
The supermarket has announced a new suite of near- and long-term emissions reduction targets that have been formally validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), aligning the business with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C pathway.
The revised targets extend beyond Morrisons’ direct operations to cover the full breadth of its value chain, including agriculture, land use and end-of-life emissions.
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Under the updated plan, Morrisons will reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 80% by 2035, rising to a 90% reduction by 2050, using a 2019 baseline. Given that around 98% of the retailer’s total emissions sit within Scope 3, the company has significantly expanded its focus on upstream and downstream impacts.
By 2035, Morrisons is targeting a 40% reduction in Scope 3 energy and industrial emissions, alongside a 48.5% reduction in emissions linked to Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG). By 2050, Scope 3 emissions overall are set to fall by 90%, with FLAG emissions reduced by 72%.
The revised near-term FLAG targets are accompanied by a commitment to eliminate deforestation across primary deforestation-linked commodities by the end of 2025, reflecting the growing importance of land-use impacts within grocery supply chains.
Andrew Edlin, head of sustainability at Morrisons, said the validation of the new targets marked a significant milestone.
“The move to a 2050 target across the full value chain is a big step forward in our journey to net zero,” he said.
“We are taking upstream and downstream emissions into account, including those created in making products, in our stores, transport systems and end-of-life emissions. Independent approval gives us a clear roadmap to achieve meaningful, measurable reductions.”
Since it first setting near-term SBTi-approved targets in 2021, Morrisons has achieved a 22% reduction in total carbon emissions compared with 2019 levels. This includes a 27% cut in Scope 1 and 2 emissions, driven by sustained operational changes such as energy efficiency initiatives, lower-carbon logistics and closer collaboration with suppliers.
The Science Based Targets initiative – a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute and WWF – independently assesses corporate climate targets and is widely recognised as the global benchmark for best practice in emissions reduction planning.
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