‘Net Zero’ Luxury: Guy Debord, Burberry and the Spectacle of (Hypo)Crisis

Abstract

This article critically analyses the “Net Zero” narrative and its implications for luxury brands. Framing the narrative through Guy Debord’s Theory of the Spectacle, it is argued that a Debordian reading of Net Zero unmasks its fetishistic character, underpinned by abstract values and technical jargon. Using the luxury brand, Burberry, as an illustrative case, the article examines the controversial ‘science’ underpinning the Net Zero agenda and the inconsistencies and complications associated with its adoption by businesses and society as a whole. It is revealed that Burberry’s stated goals (supported by new creations such as the Science-Based Target Initiative or SBTi) are, in fact, a spectacular ‘hypocrisis’ borne out of the illusory exigencies of the Net Zero narrative, underpinned by a calculative economy based upon accreditation of targets and the pursuit of infeasible deadlines. Finally, these findings are critically discussed to demonstrate the nuances of the hypocrisis of Net Zero and their implications for luxury research and practice.