Global retail giant Tesco, headquartered in the UK, this week announced ambitious goals for Green Supply Chain improvement, including requiring that suppliers reduce the “carbon footprints” of their products sold to the chain 30% by 2020.
That goal is consistent with Tesco’s overall target of reducing its total carbon footprint by 30% in the same timeframe. The company further said it hopes to be carbon neutral in its store and supply chain operations by 2050.
According to Tesco CEO Sir Terry Leahy, Tesco is proceeding with a variety of other Green initiatives, including:
- Leveraging Green systems and technology from Tesco businesses in developed countries in its operations in developing countries;
- Working to identify and communicate clear ways in which customers can reduce their personal and domestic carbon footprints by 2020;
- Creation of a Tesco Home Energy and Emissions Service that will help customers to cut emissions and bills at home through energy saving and use of renewable energy;
- Extending the points offered through the Green Clubcard to encourage environmentally friendly purchasing;
- Support for a universal accountancy standard for carbon in products and services which will, Tesco said, provide a basis for carbon co-operation between businesses and promote carbon numeracy among consumers.
Already, Tesco publishes the carbon footprints of 114 of the products it sells with special labels and is hoping to expand that to 500 products by the end of the year.
"A low-carbon strategy is also vital if we are to minimize the risk to our business: the physical threat of climate damage to our supply chains, the resulting economic damage, and the serious effects of rushed and inefficient regulation if we fail to act in time and governments are forced to take draconian action," Leahy said.
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