Rallying call to revive our ecosystems
This year on World Environment Day, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration was launched as a platform for a wide range of initiatives aimed at preventing, halting and reversing ecosystem degradation across the planet. Ecosystems, on land and in the oceans, sustain life on Earth. Globally, governments and citizens are joining hands to support programmes aimed at halting the degradation of ecosystems, enhancing biodiversity and preventing mass extinction while bolstering resilience in the face of climate change.
Woolworths Holdings has pledged to take action, with the recent announcement of a renewed sustainability strategy including new Good Business Journey (GBJ) goals. We chatted to Feroz Koor, Woolworths Group Head of Sustainability, to find out more about what Woolworths is doing and what we as conscious consumers can also do.
Why is the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration important to all of us?
The campaign is a universal rallying call to focus on the revival of our ecosystems for the benefit of people and nature. We are at a critical point where we have only a slim opportunity to change and reverse some of the damage that’s been done. Healthy ecosystems are vital to our survival on Earth.
What will Woolworths be doing to enhance sustainability over this decade?
Sustainability has long been at the core of Woolworths’ business, and it influences almost every aspect of what we do. We believe we performed well on our past 2020 GBJ goals. We achieved a 175% improvement in our energy productivity against a 2005 baseline and contributed R3.9bn to our local communities. More than 90% of Woolworths private label products have at least one characteristic that minimises their social and/or environmental impacts and 92% of Woolworths cocoa, palm oil, cotton, seafood and aquaculture products are responsibly sourced. Going forward, we have set ourselves even bolder targets. There are goals aligned to our commitment to the environment aimed at achieving a net-zero impact and a just transition to a low-carbon future. There are goals to meet our commitment to achieving a fully transparent, traceable and ethical supply chain. And there are goals that guide us in caring for our people and communities.
We believe that setting ambitious sustainability goals not only challenges our own business to do more but also inspires others to join the cause for good. Being aligned to the UN’s sustainable development goals is critical, as profound, sustainable impact requires significantly elevated collaboration among all stakeholders.
What can we as citizens do to support the movement?
Although real change will come from governments and large companies operating more responsibly, we as individuals can play our part. It’s important to educate ourselves about the importance of ecosystems to life on Earth. We can become more active in community-based social and environmental causes such as local indigenous tree-planting projects, beach and river cleanups, alien-vegetation clearing, and supporting projects that encourage the proliferation of insect and bird life. As consumers, we have an impact when we make more responsible choices and develop more environmentallyfriendly lifestyle habits. In daily life we have opportunities to switch from single-use plastics, buy less, repair more often and use things for longer. By taking small actions we create healthier lifestyles.