Sainsbury’s has pledged to invest £1bn over the next twenty years in order to become a ‘Net Zero’ business across its own operations by 2040 – a decade ahead of the UK Government’s own target.
The retailer’s current carbon footprint is one million tonnes following a 35% reduction over the last 15 years despite its operating space increasing by 46% over the same time frame.
Sainsbury’s stated that it will use the £1bn investment to implement a programme of changes, with a focus on reducing carbon emissions, food waste, plastic packaging and water usage and increasing recycling, biodiversity and healthy and sustainable eating.
Measures planned by the retailer include making its fridges more efficient, increasing the use of renewable energy and low-carbon fuels for its transport fleet, as well as halving its use of plastic packaging by 2025 and reducing food waste by 50% by 2030.
The retailer will work with the Carbon Trust to assess emissions and set science-based targets for reduction, publicly reporting on its progress every six months.
Sainsbury’s added that it will work collaboratively with suppliers to set their own “ambitious Net Zero commitments”.
The plan is one of Mike Coupe’s final actions as the Chief Executive of Sainsbury’s having announced last week that he will step down in May.
He said: “We have a duty to the communities we serve to continue to reduce the impact our business has on the environment and we are committing to reduce our own carbon emissions and become Net Zero by 2040, ten years ahead of the government’s own targets, because 2050 isn’t soon enough.”
Coupe added: “We recognise that we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to make the changes needed to help the planet exist sustainably. We have over 27 million customers each week and almost 180,000 colleagues and we hope that we can collaborate across industries and sectors to help create momentum and drive meaningful change.”
Environmental group’s welcomed Sainsbury’s announcement. “Supermarkets have a huge influence on our personal carbon footprints, so the more they can do to embrace and encourage greener lifestyles, the better for us all,” said Mike Childs, head of policy at Friends of the Earth.
Sainsbury’s is not the only supermarket to outline its sustainability goals, but it has set more ambitious targets than some of its rivals. Tesco wants to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, whilst Aldi announced at the start of 2019 that it would buy carbon credits to offset all emissions from its stores and distribution centres.
However, analysts highlighted that Sainsbury’s plan is not quite as impressive as it seems because its target only applies to its own emissions, and not those of its suppliers. For example, Tesco has also set goals for its suppliers, demanding they achieve reductions in carbon emissions across their businesses alongside its own moves.
