Environmental Leader

Tesco has released its 2007 corporate responsibility report (PDF files).

Tesco’s 2006-2007 goal was to reduce energy consumption per square foot by 12 percent as part of its long-term commitment to reduce energy use per square foot by 50 percent between 2000/10. According to the report, Tesco reduced energy use by 11.92 kwh/ft2 which equates to a 12.5 percent reduction.

When it comes to reducing water consumption the company did not reach its goal of reducing consumption per square metre by five percent.  

Tesco recycled 71 percent of waste, a minor increase on last year and below its target of 72 percent.

In April 2006 Tesco began to urge consumers to reuse plastic bags. By April 2007 Tesco estimated that it had given out 400 million fewer bags, roughly 13 million a week saved.

For 2007-2008, the company’s goals are to reduce CO2 equivalent emissions from its existing stores and distribution centres world-wide by at least 50 percent by 2020, to restrict air transport to less than 1 percent of products, to double the amount of customer recycling at sites where it introduced recycling units, to reduce carrier bags given out by 25 percent by May 2008 compared to May 2006.