Case Study: Tesco

Business Challenge:

Create a system to capture and record life cycle footprint data on a range of products for Britain’s largest retailer, Tesco, and in turn communicate this information to consumers.

Our Approach

Tesco is a British-based international grocery and merchandise and services chain and Britain’s largest retailer by both domestic and global sales. Employing over 440,000 people worldwide and with group sales of over US$100 billion, it is the third largest grocery retailer in the world. 

The business is based on delivering a consistently strong customer offer on every visit and every transaction by focusing on the Group's core purpose: to create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty.

The company recently joined the Carbon Trust’s product carbon footprinting and labeling initiative to implement supply chain carbon footprinting on products ranging from potatoes to light bulbs.

ERM helped Tesco develop systems to capture and record complex supply chain footprint data on materials, transport, emissions and waste.

In December 2007, 11 ERM consultants then worked with nine Tesco suppliers to calculate the footprint of selected Tesco own-brand products.  The Carbon Trust certified the results against the (draft) BSI Publicly Available Specification for the assessment life cycle GHG emissions of goods and services (PAS 2050), which in turn draws on ISO standards for life cycle assessment.

Twenty Tesco own-brand products now carry the Carbon Trust’s Carbon Reduction Label, in stores. The Label quantifies carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gas) of life cycle emissions.
 
In addition to working with Tesco in the retail arena, ERM is on the British Standards Institute, Carbon Trust and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs group of consultees for the new PAS 2050 standard for assessing life cycle GHG emissions of products.  We are also working as part of European and global initiatives in this field.

Benefits & Value

Tesco aims to be a global leader in engaging consumers on big picture climate change issues. ERM’s assistance is making it easier for Tesco to raise consumers’ carbon literacy and help customers to reduce their carbon footprint.

Send to colleague