The Co-operative is combating climate change to make life good for everyone
Our approach to combating climate change is five-fold, focusing on energy efficiency, renewable energy consumption and generation, carbon offsetting, the provision of finance and public policy lobbying.
Projects include: 
The Solar Tower
The Co-operative Insurance Solar Tower in Manchester is clad in more than 7,000 solar panels, making it the UK’s largest solar power installation. We may not always get the best weather in Manchester, but the tower can still generate enough electricity every year to make 9 million cups of tea, potentially saving 78 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
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Wind farms
Coldham wind farm (pictured above) on The Co-operative Farms land in Cambridgeshire is a joint venture with Scottish Power. Eight turbines are now generating enough electricity to meet the equivalent needs of more than 9,000 UK homes. Plans are currently in place to extend the Coldham wind farm, and to develop a 14-turbine windfarm on Group land in Goole, Humberside. The Merchant Wind project was established in September 2004, through a £4 million, eight-year contract between The Co-operative and green electricity generator, Ecotricity.
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Community projects
Many of the community projects we support have environmental benefits, such as Green Schools Revolution.
Green Schools Revolution is an inspiring UK sustainability education programme from The Co-operative. This free programme provides an easy and rewarding way to implement three key sustainability themes into the classroom: energy, water and healthy living. As part of Green Schools Revolution The Co-operative is offering a programme of supported school visits to Co-operative Farms, wind farms and science and discovery centres. This programme will bring together teachers, parents young people and local communities with projects that encourage creative thinking about the environment, sustainability and climate change.
The Co-operative is currently registering schools that want to be a part of the revolution, find out more and register your school now.
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The Co-operative Financial Services
The Co-operative Bank’s Ethical Policy states that it won’t invest in businesses involved in producing or extracting fossil fuels, or those that are involved in the distribution of fuels that have a higher global warming impact, such as tar sands and certain biofuels. The Ethical Engagement Policy of The Co-operative Insurance and Co-operative Investments states that they will encourage the businesses in which they invest to reduce pollution and their environmental impact, and, in particular, their reliance on fossil fuels.
Many of the products and services offered by The Co-operative Bank and The Co-operative Insurance also have additional environmental benefits:
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Car eco-insurance – 20% of the carbon emissions produced by our customers’ cars are offset each year through reforestation, energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
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Mortgages – The Co-operative Bank offsets an average of 20% of the CO
2 emissions produced by mortgage customers’ homes.
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think credit card – Customers protect a third of an acre of rainforest the first time they use the card, and enjoy a lower APR when purchasing from our ethical partners.
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Charity credit cards – a range of charities are supported through The Co-operative Bank credit cards, including Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace.
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support clean energy
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.
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Travel
The Co-operative Travel was the first high street retailer to offer customers the opportunity to offset their flights’ carbon emissions. This scheme was relaunched in 2008, as part of the new Travel Ethical Strategy. The strategy saw Travel cement its stance against such issues as additional runways in the developed world. The Co-operative Travel is also funding research into greener tourism, including opportunities for overland (and over-water) travel.
Find out more about our approach to carbon offsetting.
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Awards
Our commitment to combating climate change has been recognised by numerous awards, including:
Sunday Times Best Green Companies Award - The Co-operative Group placed 4th in 2010.
The Grocer's Green Retailer of the Year 2010
Renewable Energy Association's Pioneer Award 2009
We report on our ecological performance in our annual Sustainability Report.
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