GHG emissions:

Primark has set a relatively ambitious emissions reduction target across its value chain of 50% by 2030 from FY18/19, although it is still just short of the 55% emissions cut required.

Renewable energy:

As a signatory of the renewed UN Fashion Charter, Primark has committed to sourcing 100% of electricity from renewable sources in its own operations by 2030, but it is not clear whether the energy will be additional to the grid.
Primark has yet to set a target of 100% renewable energy for its supply chain by 2030, which is an essential step for decarbonising its manufacturing.

Coal phase out:

As a signatory of the renewed UN Fashion Charter, Primark has committed to phasing out coal-fired boilers from its supply chain by 2030 to reduce air pollution and cut emissions.

GHG emissions:

Primark publicly reports GHG emissions in its own operations, and in its supply chain. The company does provide a full breakdown of its Scope 3 emissions.

Energy use:

Primark does publicly report its energy use for its own operations, including a breakdown of its renewable energy use and how that energy is sourced.
For its supply chain, Primark does not publicly report its energy use, a breakdown of its suppliers’ renewable energy use, or how that energy is sourced.

Suppliers:

Primark provides a partial supplier list.

Primark reports providing some key suppliers with training and resources to help them make energy efficiency improvements through a pilot with the Clean by Design initiative, which it plans to expand. Primark does not report providing its major suppliers with financial incentives for energy efficiency measures, and does not require them to make energy savings as a condition of contract.

Primark does not require suppliers to reduce thermal coal demand in their manufacturing processes.

Primark does report providing its suppliers with training and resources to help them transition to renewable energy, including working with RenEnergy to help support some of its major suppliers in deploying or using more renewable energy and applying for group Power Purchase Agreements. The company does not report providing meaningful financial support or incentives to make the energy transition, and it does not require suppliers to use renewable energy as a condition of contract.

Primark does require its suppliers to disclose GHG emission data but does not require them to set GHG emissions reduction targets. Suppliers are required to provide facility level data via the Higg FEM.

Primark has not made any commitments to phase out fossil fuel based materials.

Primark has not made a public policy to ban the sourcing of leather from the Amazon Biome or taken measurable steps to ensure that Amazon leather is not contributing to deforestation, and the company does not have processes in place to avoid leather sourced from deforested regions. But Primark has a general policy against contributing to deforestation through other materials including cellulose-based fabrics by avoiding wood-based products from ancient and endangered forests, including the Amazon.

Low-carbon materials:

It is not discernible that Primark is acting to increase closed-loop apparel-to-apparel recycling for synthetics and plant-based materials. Primark has committed to switch to 100% recycled or “more sustainably sourced materials” by 2030, but not to 100% organic cotton or cotton sourced from regenerative agriculture.

Increasing circularity:

Primark is acting slowly to increase circularity and address overproduction by policies to improve the repairability, resale, durability and recyclability of its clothes, including planning to expand its in-store recycling program recycle clothes that cannot be reused into yarn for new garments. The company also reports that it is “increasing the use of more sustainable, organic and recycled materials in our products” but it doesn’t provide targets or details related to this action. Primark also reports piloting a circular design training program for buyers and designers to improve product recyclability and durability and reduce textile waste, and is “exploring and implementing product reuse models”, but has yet to scale the program.

Primark does not publicly report its material mix, its volume of deadstock or how it manages or disposes of its deadstock to reduce waste.

Primark does not report its shipping emissions annually and does not provide a breakdown of its transportation methods, but it does include shipping emissions in its GHG reduction targets.

Primark does claim to prioritise marine freight and avoid aviation. The company is also partnering with Maersk EcoDelivery to reduce its marine shipping emissions in the near term.

Primark has not committed to transitioning to zero emissions vessels (ZEV) by 2030. The company has not used its voice publicly to advocate for Zero Emission Shipping.

Primark has yet to commit to transitioning its last mile delivery to zero emission vehicles.

Primark did not engage in any discernible advocacy to promote renewable energy or emissions reduction within the 2023 Scorecard period.