The Race to Zero retail campaign was launched following the climate conference in Glasgow last week and involves some of the world’s largest retailers including Walmart, IKEA H&M and BestBuy.
The Australian Retailers Association is one of the first retail industry associations worldwide to have joined the pledge.
ARA chief executive Paul Zahra said the Race to Zero campaign allows retailers around the world to take a co-ordinated approach to addressing climate change.
“The retail sector plays a unique role in the community, with the potential to drive meaningful change in our transition to the low-carbon economy of the future, and an ability to powerfully influence consumers and suppliers in the shift towards more sustainable production and consumption,” Mr Zahra said.
“The opportunity to play a leading role in the Race to Zero galvanises our intent, connects our members with international best practice, and sends a strong signal to the global supply chain that Australian retail is ready to play its part in addressing climate change.
“Our role as an accelerator is to raise awareness about climate change and the Race to Zero campaign, share knowledge and tools with our members, and build capability across the Australian retail sector.
“We’ve recently been talking about climate change as the next big global disruption for our sector and the community. We’re delighted that our leadership position has been recognised, and we are incredibly proud to be invited to play a leading role in the Race to Zero campaign.”
