Co-op has committed to accelerating steps to curb its Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and backs global goals to limit warming to the most stringent of targets.
Having halved its GHG emissions in the ten years from 2006, the Co-op has committed to further reductions in its direct GHG emissions of 50% by 2025.
In the last year alone Co-op reduced GHG emissions by 20%, seeing stretching short-term targets as imperative in the delivery of longer-term strategies to safeguard the environment and tackle climate change.
Its action is in-line with calls for targets to limit global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees, believing the science-based target will further reduce the risk of extreme weather, sea level rise and habitat loss compared to a two degree goal.
The move was backed by Co-op Members at its AGM in May who voted overwhelmingly in favour of accelerating actions to tackle the environmental crisis.
Further changes planned by the Co-op include the use of natural refrigerants, and minimising the environmental impact of its products through responsible sourcing, such as its commitments to sustainable soy. All Co-op stores, offices and funeral homes already use 100% renewable electricity.
Michael Fletcher, Co-op Retail Chief Commercial Officer, said: “How we do business really matters. The world is experiencing a climate crisis and we need to work together to avoid it. Accelerating action is the only way to mitigate and reduce impacts on our natural world, and to ensure stable food supply chains in the future. A rolling set of publically available and reviewed stretching, short term targets, are imperative if we are to hold ourselves to account to achieve our collective longer-term ambitions. Making sure that we have a natural environment we are proud to pass on to future generations needs action to be taken now.”