Morrisons Commits to Full Value Chain Net Zero by 2050

UK supermarket retailer Morrisons has announced a major expansion of its climate strategy, committing to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions across its entire value chain by 2050. The streamlined target represents a significant shift from the company’s previous climate ambition, which concentrated on reaching net zero for its own operations by 2035. By broadening its compass, Morrisons is now addressing emigrations generated not only within its stores and operations but also across its force chain and product lifecycle.


The new commitment reflects the growing pressure on large retailers to take responsibility for circular emigrations, particularly as Compass 3 emigrations account for around 98% of Morrisons’ total carbon footprint. These emigrations arise from conditioning similar to agrarian products, manufacturing, transportation, product use, and end-of-life disposal. By targeting the full value chain, Morrisons aims to align its climate strategy more nearly with global climate wisdom and stakeholder prospects.


A Shift From Functional to Value Chain Emigrations

Preliminarily, Morrisons’ climate strategy prioritized reducing emissions from its own operations, including stores, services, and logistics, under Compass 1 and Compass 2 emissions. While the new targets extend the timeline for functional net zero, they significantly raise ambition by incorporating upstream and downstream emigrations across the business. This shift acknowledges that meaningful climate action in the retail sector depends heavily on supplier engagement, agrarian practices, and consumer-facing product opinions.

Under its long-term targets, Morrisons is aiming for a 90% absolute reduction in compass 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, compared to a 2019 birth. The company is also targeting a 72% reduction in emigrations related to Forest, Land, and Agriculture (FLAG), a critical order for food retailers due to its close links with deforestation, land-use change, and husbandry practices.

Interim Targets and Deforestation Commitments

To ensure steady progress, Morrisons has set interim targets for 2035. These include an 80% reduction in absolute compass 1 and 2 emigrations, a 40% reduction in absolute compass 3 emigrations, and a 48.5% cut in compass 3 FLAG emigrations. In addition, the retailer has committed to barring deforestation across primary deforestation-linked goods by the end of 2025, a move aimed at diving into one of the most carbon-ferocious aspects of global force chains.

This focus on deforestation-free sourcing is particularly significant for products similar to soy, palm oil, beef, and cocoa, which are generally associated with land-use change. By addressing these pitfalls, Morrisons is situating itself to reduce both climate and biodiversity impacts while responding to rising nonsupervisory and consumer scrutiny.

Progress Made Since 2019

Alongside its new commitments, Morrisons handed an update on its emigration performance to date. Since 2019, the company has achieved a 22% reduction in total carbon emissions, including a 27% reduction in Compass 1 and Compass 2 emissions. According to Morrisons, this progress has been driven by a combination of functional changes, energy effectiveness advancements, lower-carbon logistics, and near collaboration with suppliers.

Enterprises similar to upgrading refrigeration systems, perfecting energy operation in stores, and optimizing transport routes have contributed to reducing direct emigrations. At the same time, the company has begun working more closely with suppliers to identify openings for emigration reductions further up the value chain.

Science-Grounded Confirmation and Leadership Perspective

Morrisons verified that its new near- and long-term climate targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), an independent body that assesses whether commercial climate pretensions are aligned with limiting global warming in line with the Paris Agreement. SBTi confirmation adds credibility to Morrisons’ commitments and signals that its targets are predicated on climate wisdom rather than voluntary ambition alone.

Andrew Edlin, Head of Sustainability at Morrisons, said that the confirmation reinforces the company’s long-term direction. He noted that expanding the net zero target to cover the full value chain represents a major step forward, as it takes into account emissions created during product manufacturing, in-store operations, transport systems, and end-of-life processes. According to Edlin, addressing both upstream and downstream emigrations is essential for achieving meaningful and continuing reductions.

Counteraccusations for the UK Retail Sector

Morrisons’ expanded net zero commitment places it among a growing number of UK retailers recognizing that functional effectiveness alone isn't enough to meet climate pretensions. As controllers, investors, and consumers decreasingly concentrate on Compass 3 emigrations, comprehensive value chain strategies are becoming a standard for climate leadership in the food retail sector.

The success of Morrisons’ approach will depend on sustained supplier engagement, investment in low-carbon technologies, and changes in sourcing and product design. However, the strategy could significantly reduce the retailer’s climate impact while setting a precedent for broader metamorphosis across the supermarket industry if effectively enforced.