The John Lewis Partnership has become the first retailer to sign-up to HRH The Prince of Wales’ Terra Carta, which forms part of HRH’s Sustainable Markets Initiative, and puts nature, people and planet at the heart of global business.

Launched by HRH on 11 January 2021, the Terra Carta lists ten action articles for the decade and aims to provide an integrated roadmap towards an inspiring, inclusive, equitable, prosperous and sustainable future for the sake of present and future generations. It will harness the power of nature, combined with the transformative power, innovation and resources of the private sector.

The John Lewis Partnership has pledged to support the Terra Carta, its principles and action articles, as they complement existing sustainability commitments. This includes becoming net zero carbon across our entire operations by 2035. This will be supported by removing fossil fuels across our entire transport fleet by 2030. All our heavy goods vehicles will also be converted to biomethane gas, which is made of food waste, by 2028. And all own-brand product packaging across Waitrose and John Lewis will be widely recyclable, reusable, or home compostable by 2023.

Through our new Waitrose Agriculture Commitments, our future farming ambitions include embracing regenerative farming techniques. As the only supermarket that runs its own farm, we will use our Leckford Estate to bench test regenerative farming and carbon mitigation techniques for the benefit of UK agriculture. We will achieve our carbon targets by sourcing food only from carbon net zero farms in the UK by 2035. And we will continue to create groundbreaking animal welfare pledges, ensuring all livestock should have a demonstrably ‘good life’.

In Waitrose we will also halve food waste in our own operations and supply chain and help halve customers’ own household food waste by 2030. And John Lewis will lead the ‘made to last’ movement to ensure products can be loved for longer, with all product categories having a ‘buy back’ or ‘take back’ solution by 2025. All key raw materials in own-brand products will also be from sustainable or recycled sources by 2025; and we will continue to develop sustainable rental and resale options for customers.

HRH The Prince of Wales, said: “The more companies that sign up to the Terra Carta, the greater its capability will be to drive the change we so desperately need. I can only encourage more people to join this urgent call to arms.”

Sharon White, Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, said: “HRH The Prince of Wales has made an outstanding contribution to global environmental preservation and protection for over 40 years and we are proud to support his latest initiative and become a Terra Carta supporter.

“The Terra Carta reinforces the Partnership’s commitment to sustainability and we’re pleased to be the first retailer to support. It will help galvanise our work to put the environment at the heart of what we do. We know we still have a long way to go but each day we are making progress.”

Further information on the sustainability progress we are making is available in our 2020 report or via www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/csr.html