2Sustain

Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer, is continuing to set aggressive environmental targets, despite the lack of clear government guidance, Chief Executive Terry Leahy told Reuters earlier this week.

In fact, the company plans to spend more than 100 million pounds ($159 million) with British green technology companies over the coming year as it moves forward with its drive to cut carbon emissions in half by 2020.

In the Reuters article, Leahy admits that it would be better to have “clear binding targets” (set by governments).  But, since we’re currently operating in a “political vacuum,” businesses will have to take the lead and set their own, he says.

As an example of the steps the company is taking, Leahy pointed out that carbon emissions at all new stores in the Tesco’s 2010-11 financial year would be between 50 and 70 percent lower than at older stores. Plus, the company’s investment in areas such as CO2 refrigeration (as opposed to HFC refrigeration systems), combined heat and power plants and electric car charging points would safeguard and create thousands of British jobs, Reuters reports.

Leahy was speaking at the official opening of the world’s first zero carbon supermarket in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire.  Tesco has been developing stores with lower carbon footprints since 2005, and Ramsey is the latest step in this journey. The store was built with sustainable wood, LED lighting and a combined heat and power plant powered with renewable fuel. The store has no net carbon footprint and exports back any extra electricity generated to the national grid.

“The challenge of climate change can only be faced by collective action.  We want to cut our own carbon footprint and help suppliers and customers do the same.  We’ll be a zero carbon business by 2050 but only by working with our suppliers and others across the industry.” Leahy says.“I’m proud to be opening the worlds first zero carbon supermarket and I believe it’s no co-incidence that it has opened here in the UK where many of the innovations which make its construction and operation possible were designed and manufactured.”

Environmental features of the Ramsey store include:

• A timber frame from sustainable sources (instead of steel), significantly reducing the carbon associated with construction.
• Combined Heat and Power plant which runs on bio fuels from renewable sources.
• In store lighting that dims as the natural daylight increases, and roof lights that let the daylight on to the sales floor.
• LED lights in the parking lot and gas station. These use less energy and last longer than normal bulbs. This is the first time in the UK that LED lighting has been used to light a parking lot.
• Rainwater collection facilities on the roof. Collected water will be used in the car wash and to flush store toilets.
• Refrigerant gases in the fridges, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems that have virtually no environmental impact.
• Solar-powered street lights and crossing signals.
• Energy-efficient equipment such as low energy bakery ovens.