Supermarket giant Tesco has set targets to significantly reduce CO2 emissions, in line with the goal of the Paris agreement to ensure that global heating does not exceed 1.5 °C. The company’s plan is to achieve net-zero emissions in its operations by 2035, and across its entire supply chain by 2050. Photo Credit: Tesco Archive.
Czech Republic, Sep 30, (BD) – Tesco has announced new targets for reducing its carbon emissions. The company aims to achieve climate neutrality across its whole supply chain by 2050, meaning that any remaining emissions at that date are offset by removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Tesco says it wants to meet its obligations under the 2015 Paris Agreement, which was established to contain climate change, setting 1.5 °C as the maximum limit of global heating.
An earlier goal of 2035 has been set for reducing direct emissions from Tesco’s operations – meaning its retail outlets in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Ireland, and the UK – to net-zero.
By 2050, the company hopes to expand that to all of its products and entire supply chain (known as Level 3 emissions), including the sourcing of raw materials and food production, emissions related to agricultural production, emissions from the use of Tesco products in the home and food waste, and in customers’ eating habits. Procurement and production together produce 90% of Tesco’s current emissions. Reducing Level 3 emissions to net-zero will require the cooperation of many of Tesco’s business partners across different sectors.
“At this critical time for tackling climate change, we need concrete action and clearly defined commitments,” said Matt Simister, Tesco General Manager for Central Europe. “We are proud of everything Tesco has already achieved in Central Europe, including the transition to renewable electricity in all our stores, a 67% reduction in emissions in the region from and a 65% reduction in food waste by 2015. We would also like to help customers move to a more sustainable and healthier diet, which will be helped by a new partnership with the Global Wide Fund for Nature.”
Over the next year, Tesco will set out its plan in more detail to achieve its new targets, including detailed decarbonisation plans for some of its key emission areas.
