Morrisons: Raising the Bar on Net Zero Across the Retail Supply Chain
UK grocery retailers are accelerating their sustainability ambitions, and Morrisons’ latest announcement benchmarks just how quickly expectations around supply chain emissions are evolving across the sector.
The supermarket has strengthened their climate strategy with an ongoing commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its entire value chain by 2050. The updated targets, formally validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), position Morrisons among some of the most ambitious operators in the UK grocery market when it comes to science-aligned climate action.
Strengthening the Sustainability Roadmap
Under its revised plan, Morrisons will reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 80% by 2035 and by 90% by 2050, using a 2019 baseline. Their goal places significantly greater emphasis on Scope 3 emissions, which account for the vast majority of the retailer’s overall eco footprint.
By 2035, Morrisons is targeting a 40% reduction in Scope 3 energy and industrial emissions, alongside a 48.5% reduction in emissions linked to Forest, Land and Agriculture. Longer term, total Scope 3 emissions are set to fall by 90% by 2050, with FLAG emissions reduced by 72%. They have also committed to eliminating deforestation across primary deforestation-linked commodities by the end of 2025, underlining a growing awareness and importance of land use among grocery supply chains.
Operational Change and the Role of Logistics
Since first setting SBTi-approved targets in 2021, Morrisons has already reduced total carbon emissions by 22% compared with 2019 levels. Scope 1 and 2 emissions alone have fallen by 27%, driven by sustained operational changes including energy efficiency initiatives, closer collaboration with suppliers, and the adoption of lower carbon logistics solutions across its transport network.
These developments highlight how logistics and supply chain operations are now central to retail decarbonisation efforts. Emissions generated through transportation, warehousing, and supplier activity are increasingly under scrutiny as retailers look beyond their store estates and into every stage of the product lifecycle.
Morrisons Sets a New Standard
As net zero targets tighten across the industry, many retailers are looking to examples like Morrisons as a benchmark, but without a clear roadmap for how to achieve these new goals. Ambition is rising rapidly, yet many businesses lack practical guidance on how to translate long-term targets into measurable action across complex supply chains.
This growing gap between strategy and execution is driving demand for clearer solutions. Retailers are actively seeking logistics partners that can support lower carbon transport, smarter routing, improved data transparency, and automation that reduces waste and inefficiency without disrupting service levels.
Building Achievable Routes to Net Zero
Spaces such as the Net Zero Hub at the Retail Supply Chain and Logistics Expo are becoming increasingly relevant as retailers search blindly for direction. They provide a dedicated platform for businesses to explore practical, scalable approaches to decarbonisation, from transport optimisation and energy efficient warehousing to supplier collaboration, data reporting, and automation technologies.
Rather than focusing solely on targets, these environments help retailers actually understand how emission reduction can be embedded into day-to-day logistics operations. For businesses under growing regulatory, commercial, and consumer pressure to act, this kind of practical engagement has now become essential.
With climate commitments moving quickly from ambition to expectation, Morrisons’ announcement signals a wider shift across retail. The race to build lower carbon, more transparent supply chains is now quite on its way.