Retailers meeting carbon emission targets 2 years early

Leading retailers have cut their carbon emissions by a third since 2005, according to a new report from the British Retail Consortium.

Almost 30 retailers have signed up to the Better Retail Better World initiative, including Morrisons, John Lewis, B&Q parent company Kingfisher, Sainsbury’s, Missguided and New Look.

The initiative said retailers are now meeting their carbon emissions targets two years early, using the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a framework, which is said to focus on “clear, transparent and measurable goals for businesses”.

Across the signatories, carbon emissions were reduced 36 per cent in absolute terms, surpassing the 2020 target of a 25 per cent decrease.

Relative to shop floor space, carbon emissions from stores and energy-related carbon emissions from store deliveries were down 67 per cent and 47 per cent respectively.

Efforts to tackle carbon emissions include the use of biofuels and renewable energy across the supply chain, with the initiative noting that many retailers have set their own strict targets to bring down their carbon use.

Despite the marked improvements, other areas such as transport emissions and greenhouses gases from refrigeration will need more work to meet their 2020 targets.

Retail Gazette