Climate change
As a business, we’re leading the way in the fight to combat climate change. Initiatives such as producing energy through wind power on our farm in Coldham, and refusing to finance fossil fuel extraction, led to us being placed as the highest ranked food retailer or financial services business in the Sunday Times Best Green Companies list in May 2010.
As part of our new revolutionary Ethical Operating Plan:
• We will reduce the gross greenhouse gas emissions from our operations by 35% by 2017, and will generate the equivalent of 25% of electricity needs from renewable sources by 2017.
• We will render our operations carbon neutral by 2012 , with carbon offset solutions provided by a programme of international co-operative projects.
• We will construct a head-office by 2012 that will set new standards in sustainable design, construction and operation in the UK.
• We will extend our Plan Bee campaign and seek to address the decline of additional ‘at risk’ pollinators, and broaden our campaign against unconventional fossil fuels to encompass solutions such as community energy.
Find out more - Join the Revolution.
Renewable Energy
Virtually all of our electricity is sourced from good quality renewable sources, such as wind and water power. We have some 5,000 outlets powered by renewable energy, and have significantly cut the energy consumption in our buildings in recent years. We committed over £20 million to our energy efficiency programme between 2007 and 2010, with an additional £30 million approved to reduce electricity and gas consumption even further by 2013.
The Coldham Wind Farm in Cambridgeshire is a joint business venture owned by The Co-operative Group and Scottish Power. The electricity generated from this wind farm alone is enough to power more than 9,000 UK homes, and we have obtained planning permission for a further two wind farms.
Campaigning
We have a long history of campaigning, from partnering Friends of the Earth to demand a strong Climate Change Bill, to mobilising our members to
march on Parliament.
We're now calling for a
clean energy revolution to make the UK more greener and our energy future more secure, which includes our campaigning on the issues of "unconventional fossil fuels such as
shale gas and
tar sands.
Community Support
We're supporting communities' own green revolutions, including helping young people in their endeavours to lower their carbon footprint and supporting community-led renewable energy projects through The Co-operative Enterprise Hub.
Join the Revolution!
Find out how your school can join the Green Schools Revolution.
Apply for help setting up a community-led renewable energy project.
Find out more about our climate change projects.
Find out more about our environmental projects.
Image shows Baywind Energy Co-operative, the UK’s first community owned wind farm.