Green is the new Gold

The UK's version of a Wal-Mart grocery, Tesco, is often accused of forcing suppliers to cut costs and running small shops out of business. To improve its image, conform to government regulations, and hopefully boost its bottom line, the retail giant will be greening its operations and emissions and lessening its environmental impact. Tesco has pledged to triple recycling, cut in store energy use by 50% from the 2000 level by next year, and half greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. At the same time, Tesco has been opening an average of one store per week.

By investing in 500 million Euros (about $680 million U.S.) worth of environmentally friendly facility refits and research, 100 million Euros ($135 million) into developing low carbon technology, and 5 million Euros ($6.8 million) to fund Tesco's new Institute for Sustainable Consumption (with Oxford University), Tesco will be setting an example for all global retail giants. Tesco's plan may not be perfect, but it is a start.

From Ethical Corporation Magazine:

How Tesco has cut its energy usage

- More energy-efficient ovens, refrigeration and air-conditioning Ð the big users of energy in stores.
- More efficient lighting, and timers and motion detectors that switch off the lights when they are not needed.
- Redesigned fridges to keep more of the cold air in Ð cutting energy use by 10%.
- Equipment that retrieves cold air from chiller cabinets to use as an energy-efficient alternative to air-conditioning on the sales floor.
- Heat recovered from machinery to use as heating when needed.

Sir Terry Leahy, CEO of Tesco, wrote in the London Telegraph in April:

We want to lead what we have called a revolution in green consumption, and you can only do that from the front. Our commitment to combat climate change is an investment in the future of our business as well as of the planet.

Sources: Ethical Corporation, Oxford, The Telegraph