Green retail: carbon reduction in store and supply chain

Posted March 2010

 

Major retailers are investing a great deal of money and effort to get their green messages across. Key changes include packaging, transport, global sourcing, and construction.

Rewards go beyond the reduced costs linked with the efficient use of energy and other resources. A green company can often achieve enhanced loyalty from their employees, business partners, and especially from their customers.

Carbon saving and the best management of resources are fundamental to any sustainable strategy in retail.

Energy saving

This is a key area - saving energy will save money and reduce carbon emissions.

Resource depletion

Retailers are developing processes in the supply chains of their partners which control the resources used in the manufacture of their goods. We can use the same principles in construction, to maximise efficiency, minimise waste and save money for our clients.

Sustainability/carbon management in supermarkets

Our work with leading UK supermarkets typically focuses on evaluating and influencing carbon reduction and sustainability in their property and construction programmes.

Key activities include:

  • Development of sustainability strategies and targets

  • Resource efficiency strategies- piloting WRAP's zero waste to landfill objective

  • The development of a carbon tracker for all projects incorporating a feedback mechanism to measure and evaluate results against corporate targets

  • Detailed development of a carbon calculator for cost/carbon reduction analysis at feasibility stage

  • Evaluation of renewable/low carbon technologies and their application within the supermarket environment, including: CHP, bio fuels, ground source heat pumps, wind

  • Embodied carbon and lifecycle assessments

  • Assessing energy consumption using industry recognised tools such as IES and iSBEM, EPC certificates

  • Consultancy in carbon management and sustainable design of transport, home shopping facilities, petrol stations and distribution centres

  • Consultancy and development of full environmental "toolkit" for teams at development/planning stage. Including pro-formae for energy, sustainability, and planning statements

  • Formulation of strategy for environmental requirements based upon corporate goals and building construction legislation

  • Application of BREEAM and other environmental assessment methods (LEED, One Planet Living) on retail and mixed-use projects. Author of pro-forma documentation, driving cost efficiency of consultation work

  • Consultancy and design advice on sustainable construction/engineering, including mixed mode ventilation systems and natural lighting of buildings

  • Development of concept, outline and construction design of supermarket "environmental" store achieving 50% carbon reduction

  • Analysis of the impacts of changes to Part L of the building regulations (due to come into force in 2010)

Faithful+Gould has significant experience in the management/delivery of global retail programmes, and, increasingly, sustainability is an important part of our clients' plans. Our role frequently involves co-ordinating sustainability accreditation across several countries.  This reflects the growing trend for multi-national firms to opt for multiple accreditation within their international portfolios, allowing them to demonstrate and compare the environmental performance of their buildings globally.

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