The British luxury sector is one of the fastest growing and most successful industries in the UK, with brands including Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Claridge’s, dunhill, Harrods, The Glenturret, Manolo Blahnik, Mulberry, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Wedgwood renowned throughout the world. Worth over £81bn to the UK economy, growing at a rate of 11% annually and employing over 450,000 people across the country, British luxury brands represent the highest standards of creativity, innovation and quality.
For more information about the contribution of the luxury sector to the British economy, please see our recent Luxury in the Making study.
With their unique leadership position, rich heritage and prospects for future performance, British luxury brands have both the opportunity and responsibility to play a key leadership role in addressing the most urgent environmental and social challenges, setting the pace for change and working to create a more sustainable future for all. That is why Walpole commissioned the British Luxury Sustainability Manifesto 2024, which builds on the work of our first sustainability manifesto, released in 2020 (you can read that here).
By working collectively, we can draw on the knowledge, expertise and creativity of Walpole’s 250+ member businesses to share best practice, scale practical solutions and direct investment towards tackling the reduction of carbon emissions, reducing the impact on our environment, and create more inclusive organisations to ensure sustainable business growth.
Through Walpole’s comprehensive sustainability manifesto, we aim to support the British luxury sector to become a world leader in sustainability.
"In sustainability, none of us can drive the change we need to see as individuals," says Walpole's Charlotte Keesing. "But if we come together, work collectively, share best practice, insights, suppliers, innovation, challenges and discoveries, then we are incredibly powerful and can build a more sustainable future for British luxury. Through Walpole’s British Luxury Sustainability Manifesto we have created a comprehensive and ambitious framework that all of our members are able to use and adapt.
"We are enormously grateful to the team at McKinsey & Company for their expertise and support in developing the second phase of our sustainability work."
> Read the British Luxury Sustainability Manifesto 2024 <
During September and October, we will be sharing this work with our members through a series of virtual sessions (co-hosted with McKinsey & Company) and sharing insight from our member businesses. These sessions will be open to both the members in our sustainability working groups and to the wider membership. We’d love for you to be part of these conversations.
Please join on the following dates:
To join these sessions, please email [email protected]
Through our survey and interviews we have had incredibly positive feedback about our working groups, over 150 members have been involved in the 80 sessions and we are hugely grateful to all of those that have been involved. In the next stage of our sustainability work our working groups are moving to become topic focused sessions, which will be open to all members, and these will be schedule from January and taking place virtually on a monthly basis.
Further information on the working groups, topics and speakers will be shared in the autumn.
If you would like any more information on Walpole's sustainability work, please email [email protected]
