The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has announced today (29 January) that Britain’s retailers are ‘on track’ to meet voluntary targets to reduce the direct environmental impact of their operations.

BRC’s progress report on the industry initiative ‘A Better Retailing Climate’ (ABRC) has claimed that all of its targets could be met by 2020, if progress continues at its current rate.

Launched in 2008, A Better Retailing Climate is a voluntary initiative created by a group of leading retailers (representing half of the UK retail market) that sets out collective environmental impact targets. The first targets were all exceeded in 2013, and a new set of targets was agreed in 2014, all of which are to be met by 2020.

Members of the BRC, including supermarket chains ASDA, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, and The Co-operative, have agreed to work to reduce their environment impact by:

• diverting waste from landfill so that less than one per cent of waste is landfilled by 2020;
• reducing absolute carbon emissions from retail operations by 25 per cent by 2020 (based on 2005 levels);
• reducing energy-related emissions from buildings by 50 per cent by 2020, accounting for growth (compared with 2005 levels);
• reducing emissions from refrigeration gases by 80 per cent by 2020, relative to floor space (compared to 2005 levels);
• reducing energy-related carbon emissions from store deliveries by 45 per cent by 2020, based on fuel used relative to turnover (compared with 2005 levels); and
• measuring water usage in sites collectively anticipated as accounting for 100 per cent of usage by 2020 (and setting a reduction target when the targets are reviewed in 2015).

Progress details

According to the ‘A Better Retailing Climate Progress Report January 2015’, as of 2014 (roughly half-way through the target period), BRC members have:

• sent seven per cent of waste direct to landfill, down from 43 per cent in 2005, by improving food redistribution schemes for surplus food and sending organic waste for energy recovery;
• reduced absolute carbon emissions from retail operations by 13 per cent (on 2005 levels) by switching to more efficient energy systems and less carbon-intensive machinery;
• reduced carbon emissions from store buildings by 30 per cent (on 2005 levels) by switching to more efficient-energy systems, such as solar power and biomass boilers;
• reduced total emissions to air from escaped refrigeration gases by 47 per cent (on 2005 levels) by moving to more natural refrigerants (such as carbon dioxide refrigeration) and/or lower HFC refrigerants;
• reduced carbon emissions from store deliveries by 34 per cent (on 2005 levels) by investing in low-carbon vehicles, providing fuel-efficiency training, and better journey planning; and
• measured 90 per cent of water use, up from 65 per cent in 2005, by installing automated meter-reading devices.

Moreover, progress to meet the refrigeration target is expected to improve as BRC members begin phasing out hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) refrigerants from 2015 and replacing them with non-HFC refrigerants, in line with the Consumer Goods Forum Commitment.

The report also reiterates the BRC’s finding that the seven ‘major’ UK supermarkets (Asda, the Co-operative, M&S, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose) generated approximately 200,000 tonnes of food waste – 1.3 per cent of the UK’s total food waste arisings in 2013. Future reports will track progress on the retail food waste figure to provide accountability.

It goes on to detail case studies of how retailers are working in partnership with suppliers and customers to make progress in lowering energy usage in buildings, cutting emissions from refrigeration, diverting waste from landfill and reporting on food waste.

‘We can meet the ambitious targets by 2020’

The report reads: ‘This document highlights a clear and thorough commitment to reduce the environmental impact of the retail industry. The progress and achievements outlined show how many retailers (our signatories represent half of the UK industry with a turnover of £162bn) are taking a real leadership role in driving resource efficiency and sourcing and producing their products in an environmentally responsible way. They recognise it makes sound business sense, as there is nothing more important to a retailer’s long term success than building a sustainable supply chain.

‘Our new set of voluntary targets and commitments to 2020 builds on previous achievements and confirm how retailers are meeting the challenges of sourcing in a global market, supporting suppliers to produce more responsibly and coping with climate change.’

Speaking after the release of the report today, BRC Director of Food and Sustainability Andrew Opie said: “Retailers continue to lead the way in reducing the impact of the products they sell and adapting to the challenges of climate change. This shows we can meet the ambitious targets to reduce environmental impact by 2020 when we invest in our supply chain and work closely with consumers.”

Read the full progress report for 2014.