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EnvironmentRetailers spell out plans to tackle climate change
Commitments to the environment are taking centre stage among retailers, with Marks & Spencer’s (M&S’) £200m “eco-plan” followed by the announcement of initiatives from Tesco.
Stuart Rose, M&S chief executive, promised the retail company would “change beyond recognition the way it operates” over the next five years, becoming carbon neutral, ensuring polyester clothing is from recycled plastic, and annually selling over 20m garments made from Fairtrade cotton. The store will label food imported by air, make UK and regional food sourcing a priority, and test-run the use of food waste in powering stores.
Tesco’s commitments focused on promoting green consumption among its customers: for instance, by halving the price of energy-efficient light bulbs and ensuring more energy efficient products are sold in the store’s value range.
The difference between the two strategies, said The Independent’s Michael Harrison (19 January), is that M&S believes the customer will pay to go green, while Tesco is working on the assumption they will only go green if its affordable.
It is Tesco that seem to have got at the crux of the matter, argued Harrison: consumers are every bit as motivated by self-interest as companies, and they will be less willing to shell out for organic vegetables if interest rates continue to rise and households have less disposable income.
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February, 2007 |
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