About Charles Tyrwhitt
Known for its refined British tailoring and commitment to quality since 1986, Charles Tyrwhitt began asking tougher questions about its impact and its future in 2019. Eager to make meaningful change but unsure where to start with measuring carbon emissions, Charles Tyrwhitt partnered with Planet Mark. That step marked more than just a CSR milestone; it began a sustainability journey that is already delivering real, measurable progress.
Tailored for change
When it comes to starting sustainability reporting, knowing where to begin can feel like a daunting task for businesses. For many businesses, the question isn’t why to act but where to begin and without taking the necessary steps to start to understand your carbon emissions, it can be challenging to know how to take action and make strategic decisions. This was the challenge faced by Charles Tyrwhitt who decided they needed a sustainability partner to help them kickstart their measurement and decarbonisation journey.
A strong recommendation from a colleague, who is now a member of Charles Tyrwhitt’s Board, led them to Planet Mark. From there, the journey toward measurement, reduction, and long-term impact officially began.
Energy efficiency fuels carbon reduction
After 5 years of measuring with Planet Mark, Charles Tyrwhitt has made real progress in reducing its measured footprint. For its 2024 reporting period, the iconic men’s clothing brand achieved an impressive 18.1% absolute carbon reduction in its Scope 1 and 2 emissions using a market-based methodology.
Sam Shaw, Corporate Social Responsibility & Employee Communications Manager at Charles Tyrwhitt, reflects on the journey, ‘You begin driving carbon reductions by tackling the low hanging fruit, and then once you’ve done that, the real challenge is thinking longer-term and more strategically.’
As a result of complying with the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS), the men’s clothing brand implemented an energy-saving action plan across its retail locations. Upgrades have included switching to LED lighting as standard and installing smart software on heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to optimise temperature and boost efficiency. Charles Tyrwhitt’s latest measurement report demonstrates that 51% of the organisation’s energy demand was met by renewable energy, a clear sign that smarter energy choices are driving carbon reductions.
The strength of the Planet Mark community lies in its shared purpose
The growing Planet Mark community stands as living proof: cutting carbon works and is absolutely the right thing to do. Sam notes the benefits of Planet Mark introducing Charles Tyrwhitt to a plethora of businesses in the community and the connections the company has made because of this, ‘I am always struck by the size of the Planet Mark community and how it has grown so much in the years that we’ve worked with you. We’re all at different stages of our net zero journey, but it’s a collective of like-minded individuals. Those connections have been key. Thanks to Planet Mark, Charles Tyrwhitt has been introduced to a broad network of like-minded businesses; partnerships that have opened new conversations and possibilities.’
Sam also reflects on the impact the individuals at Planet Mark have so far had on their journey, ‘The Planet Mark team have been incredible and given us so much support since those very early conversations in 2019 while we were finding our feet.’
Recognition of the Certified Business Mark amongst customers
The Certified Business Mark features on the retailer’s packaging as well as in its marketing materials, as an emblem of their commitment to progressing on their sustainability journey.
Sam explains the immense value this brings to the business, ‘We believe it’s really important to have a form of accreditation to show that we’re serious about our commitment to continuous improvement. We’ve done some UK customer focus work to gauge if they understand the symbolism of the Certification Mark – and they do. The Certification Mark brings commercial value and we bring it to life through our sustainability initiatives.’ In 2023 Charles Tyrwhitt even won an award for ‘the best use of the Planet Mark’ at the Planet Mark Awards.
Planet Mark’s Net Zero Certification Programme provides a structured pathway
The retailer has taken the best first step towards net zero by becoming a Planet Mark Certified Business and measuring emissions sources under easy organisational control – and it’s excited about the trajectory that Planet Mark’s Net Zero Certification Programme offers. Sam comments, ‘The Net Zero Certification Programme is structured to provide a very clear pathway: supporting you to understand the basics of measurement, mature your data collection journey, prepare you for taking that next natural step to understanding your net zero baseline, setting clear net zero targets, and then bringing you along on that journey to achieve net zero in the future.’
Maturing on the sustainability journey
Looking ahead, the future for Charles Tyrwhitt is exciting as it plans to ramp up its supply chain engagement and measure its Scope 3 emissions to understand its total carbon footprint and set net zero targets; the company previously achieved carbon neutrality for its operations but is now shifting its focus towards its longer-term sustainability goals. Encouragingly, as a result of maturing relationships with suppliers, the retailer believes that elements of its Scope 3 data collection will happen organically with a proportion of suppliers and factories leading the way with their own sustainability reporting.
With Planet Mark by its side and its CSR working groups in place to drive action and ensure compliance, Charles Tyrwhitt is confidently stepping into its next phase; ready to meet future legislation and progress on its Planet Mark journey.
Talk to an expert today about how Planet Mark’s Net Zero Certification Programme could support your business to take the best first step towards achieving net zero.
