El Corte Inglés targets "Net Zero" by 2050 with new sustainability plan

Madrid - El Corte Inglés, the Spanish department store group, has launched its new 2025-2030 Sustainability Master Plan, reaffirming its commitment to environmental responsibility. The plan is a comprehensive roadmap aimed at achieving "Net Zero" status by 2050, with a focus on minimizing the company’s environmental impact and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its entire value chain.

The new strategy, which was presented to key stakeholders in February, is built on three main pillars: Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG).

Key environmental goals

Central to the plan is the new Net Zero Transition Plan. By 2030, El Corte Inglés aims to source 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources. By 2034, the company plans an absolute reduction of 51.5 percent in direct emissions (Scope 1) from its operations and a 12 percent reduction in value chain emissions (Scope 3). The long-term goal is to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, with an 88.2 percent reduction in Scope 1 emissions and a 90 percent reduction in Scope 3 emissions compared to 2022 levels.

The company will focus on four key areas—real estate, purchasing, supply chain, and central services—to achieve these targets. Initiatives include electrifying its centres, promoting low-carbon purchasing, transitioning to low-emission transport vehicles, and encouraging sustainable mobility for employees.

Social and governance objectives

The plan also outlines ambitious social and governance goals for 2030. Socially, the company aims to become a market leader in sustainability for customers, position its own brands as a benchmark in sustainability, and collaborate with suppliers to mitigate ESG risks.

It also plans to promote projects that generate shared value for society and make its facilities and websites accessible to all. On the governance front, the company will focus on increasing board involvement in sustainability, updating corporate policies, adapting non-financial reporting to new regulations, and digitizing sustainability information for better traceability and quality.

El Corte Inglés also reaffirmed its commitment to the circular economy by participating in the launch of the Re-Viste textile waste recycling program and continuing its "Zero Waste" plan, which recovered over 95 percent of the waste generated in its facilities in 2024.