Tesco top retailer for carbon cutting fourth year in a row

It is the fourth time in a row the retailer has been put top of the CDP’s UK list having been singled out for its carbon reporting and understanding of how carbon change affects the business.

The third largest retail company in the world, Tesco aims to become a zero carbon business by 2050 and a range of energy efficiency measures it has implemented saves the company £270m a year.

Tesco has seven zero-carbon stores and two soon to be opened in Wales and Ireland. Its stores also contain more than 100 natural refrigeration systems globally, although it was revealed in July that Tesco was failing to meet its target of a 150 systems by the end of the year.

In the UK, the company has cut emissions by using alternative modes of transport such as rail and has halved emissions per case of goods delivered, through fuller cages and trucks, fewer miles and an increase in fuel economy.

Tesco also launched an online community called Knowledge Hub where suppliers can access resources that advise on carbon reduction and sustainability.

Director of Climate Change Tesco’s Helen Fleming said: “We have always taken the view that reporting our emissions is important to demonstrate the credibility of our own carbon reduction strategy. That’s why we believe the Government’s introduction of mandatory reporting is a critical step on the road to establishing a greener economy in the UK.

“Not only is reducing emissions the right thing to do for a responsible company, it also makes good business sense. Thanks to our carbon reduction measures, we are conserving more energy, operating more efficiently and making savings which we’ve been able to use in other areas of the business, like working with our suppliers.”

Conor McGlone