Associated British Foods chief executive George Weston told The Times that the scale of Primark and its supply chain meant it didn’t have to air freight goods. He claimed the high street staple was “a solution” to fashion’s sustainability issues, not the cause.

“[Primark has] one of the world’s best supply chains and we don’t air freight the goods, we ship them, which has far lower emissions,” he said. “Far from being a problem, we are a solution”.