Sustainability
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do
We can’t keep making and selling affordable and good quality food if we aren’t able to maintain a healthy planet. It’s an enormous challenge, which is why we support a positive transition towards a healthy and sustainable food system. It’s not just something we say either - it really is at the heart of everything we do as a business.
The story so far….
So far, we’ve installed solar power across our sites. We’ve reduced our scope 1 and 2 emissions. We offer EV charging at most of our stores. We massively reduced our use of single use plastics. We stock products like planet-friendly eggs. We’ve donated millions of meals to people in need. And all of our milk, eggs and fresh meat are British, with our ‘For Farmers’ milk range even generating millions of pounds of extra income for UK farmers. Phew.
We’ve been busier than you might think. But we’re not stopping anytime soon.
‘Sustain’ - a new initiative
We recently developed our businesswide ‘Sustain’ initiative. It’s all about creating value for our shareholders while earning the trust of our customers. Put simply, it’s our roadmap for doing the right thing.
To keep us moving in the right direction, we ask our customers what they want from us three times a year. The biggest themes we hear include reducing food waste, reducing the use of plastics, and supporting British farming.
So, we’ve broken down our ‘Sustain’ initiative into 5 chapters.
Chapter 1: Reducing our energy use and impact on the climate
Goal 1 - Net zero operational emissions by 2035 (scope 1&2) from a 2019 baseline.
Goal 2 - 46% reduction in scope 1&2 emissions by 2030 delivered through annual energy plans.
Goal 3 - Reduce our own brand scope 3 emissions by 30% by 2030 from a 2019 baseline.
Goal 4 - Net zero emissions in our direct UK agriculture supply chain by 2030.
Goal 5 - We will decarbonise our transport and logistics operations in line with our SBTI climate targets.
Chapter 2: Cutting waste
Goal 1 - 50% absolute reduction in own brand primary plastic packaging versus 2017.
Goal 2 - We will reduce our total packaging weight by a minimum of 20%.
Goal 3 - 50% reduction in food waste in stores by 2030 from 2016 baseline and significantly reduce the cost of food waste.
Goal 4 - Morrisons actively contributes to the WRAP goal that 50% of UK fresh food will be sourced from areas with sustainable water management by 2030.
Goal 5 - By 2030, we substantially increase water-use efficiency across the business in line with SDG6.
Chapter 3: Sourcing sustainably
Goal 1 - Zero deforestation by 2025 with 100% certified sustainable supply chains in relevant commodities; palm oil, soya and timber products.
Goal 2 - 100% of fish and seafood will come from third-party verified responsible sources where viable.
Goal 3 - Working with British farmers we know and trust, we will align to the 5 Domains for animal welfare.
Goal 4 - Our Sustain program supports the regeneration and protection of nature.
Goal 5 - Everyone who helps make our products is treated with dignity and respect, in safe and fair workplaces.
Chapter 4: Supporting Healthy & sustainable diets
Goal 1 - We will support our customers to make positive nutrition choices and eat according to the recommendations of the Eatwell Guide.
Goal 2 - At least 70% (volumetric tonnes) of our Own Brand products and >65% of Total Business will be non-HFSS by 2027 (as defined by the current NPM).
Goal 3 - We will support the removal of unnecessary additives and cleaner ingredient declarations.
Goal 4 - We will continue to develop healthy, affordable and accessible food and services for all.
Goal 5 - We will support the diets of our most vulnerable customers.
Chapter 5: Building an inclusive culture
Goal 1 - We continue to foster a culture where everyone is welcome and celebrated.
Goal 2 - Raise £15m for our charity partner Marie Curie by 2027 while also supporting charity appeals which resonate with customers and colleagues.
Goal 3 - Tackle food poverty through redistribution initiatives and facilitation of customer donations.
Goal 4 - Support good causes in the communities we serve with £2 million in donations from the Morrisons Foundation.
Goal 5 - We engage our stakeholders on sustainability and achieve a top-half performance in our chosen customer metric by 2027.
