Introduction from Eoin Tonge, Primark’s Interim CEO

While much has been said recently about sustainability receiving less focus across some sectors, this is not the case at Primark. From my first days here, one of the most striking things I saw was how deeply people care about doing the right thing. Therefore, I am proud of the sustainability and ethics progress Primark has delivered this year, not just because of the continued headway made, but also because of the tangible values and beliefs driving it. Sustainability continues to be integrated into how we operate as a business, a belief as strong today as when we launched our sustainability commitments over four years ago, and our ethical programme more than 15 years ago.

We cannot deliver any of this without ongoing partnership with our suppliers. Their support is critical, perhaps the single most important success factor, as we continue our journey.  In recent months, I’ve met many of our suppliers and have been reassured they see the mutual benefit of the work we are doing. I’ve been proud to hear first-hand how they view Primark as a leader in sustainability and ethics, a business genuinely ‘trying to do the right thing’.

This year, we’ve accelerated our efforts in areas that matter most to us and our industry. Our expert teams continue to deliver impact at scale, particularly through our now well-established work on circularity, durability, and responsible sourcing. 74% of all clothing sold now contains more sustainable or recycled materials. One other example of progress is that now, around 5% of clothing items sold are circular by design. Given our millions of customers across 18 countries, that’s a meaningful step forward. And it’s not just about what we sell, but how we work. There’s no trust without transparency, and this year we’ve taken further steps to strengthen traceability across our supply chain.

Another highlight was the expansion of our adaptive clothing range. Initiatives like this are a reminder that sustainability and ethics are not abstract concepts. They are about improving everyday lives for our customers, colleagues, and the communities connected to our business.

We know that all our stakeholders, from customers to investors, and NGOs, expect transparent and credible KPIs to trust our progress. This year, we have continued to strengthen these and once again, linked Directors’ performance objectives to ESG KPIs to ensure sustainability isn’t just an ambition but a responsibility we all share.

I don’t seek praise for our progress, but I believe it’s important that we are transparent and it is understood, as many inaccurate perceptions about Primark remain. Perhaps as a brand most famous for value, we must work harder than others to demonstrate that low prices do not mean low standards.

So what lies ahead? Our commitments overall are progressing well, but they are broad. A lot has changed since we launched our Primark Cares commitments in 2021: increased regulation, geopolitical instability, changing consumer expectations and behaviours and new technology disruption. We have learned a lot around where our scale and expertise can have the most impact and make the biggest difference. And we understand more than ever the strength of our values and where we want to be a driver for change.  

Given that, we feel there is a real opportunity to refocus our efforts. My feeling is that we are still trying to do ‘too many things’ and we would be more effective, for the world and for Primark, to be focused on a smaller number of more impactful initiatives. Therefore, we have kicked off a review of our commitments to ‘double down’ and refocus our efforts. We expect to be updating on the outcome of that review throughout the year coming.

I do this with the promise, and my personal conviction, that the strength of our values and determination to do the right thing will not waiver.

Eoin Tonge

Interim CEO Primark