Thursday 11 November 2021
Australia's largest and most diverse retail representative body, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has confirmed its commitment to climate action by joining the Race to Zero Accelerator Pledge, backed by the United Nations and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
The Race to Zero retail campaign was launched last week in Glasgow, with global founding members IKEA, H&M, Walmart, Best Buy and Kingfisher. The ARA and the British Retail Consortium are the first retail industry associations worldwide to have joined the Accelerator Pledge.
ARA CEO 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," Mr Zahra said.
