British retailers commit to new environmental targets
Elaine Brass
16th November 2009
Major high street brands, including ASDA, Boots and John Lewis, have committed to new environmental targets for 2013, which include cutting carbon emissions and waste by more than a quarter.
The new environmental measures, announced in the British Retail Consortium (BRC) report 'A Better Retailing Climate Progress Report 2009', commit to cutting waste sent to landfill to less than 25 per cent, from
the current 32 per cent, and reducing emissions from buildings from 15
to 25 per cent. The BRC claims its members have "met challenging environmental pledges ahead of schedule and have committed to even more demanding targets" – overall creating a reduction of the environmental impact of their businesses by 2013.
BRC members have actually seen an increase in absolute emissions of eight per cent between 2005/6 and 2008/9 because of new stores opening and an increase in retail floor
space of 27 per cent, but overall energy use in buildings has reduced by 15 per
cent on a like-for-like basis in the same period. The BRC says
that this has been achieved through a variety of methods, such as
designing stores that are up to 70 per cent more efficient and using
low-carbon energy, such as wind and solar power.
The report also points out that members have achieved a 130,000 tonne reduction in the amount of waste sent to landfill in 2008 compared with 2005 – met through a range of initiatives, such as more recycling and anaerobic digestion used on organic waste.
Stephen Robertson, BRC director general, said: "Retailers can rightly be proud of their achievements in cutting the environmental impact of their businesses. Even with the excellent progress already made in such a short period of time, retailers are determined to push even further. They have decided to ratchet up their green commitments by setting themselves even tougher targets to reduce their property energy emissions and landfill waste by 2013."
The BRC green goals are in addition to retailers' ongoing initiatives to encourage customers to adopt more environmentally friendly behaviour. "This includes halving the number of single-use carrier bags taken by consumers between 2006 and 2009 and launching a standardised on-pack recycling label helping customers to recycle more of what can be recycled," said Robertson.