Co-operative customers chip into key climate change debate

02 November 2009

Customers of The Co-operative Food have sent world leaders a clear message ahead of the crucial Copenhagen summit on climate change in December.

More than 200,000 shoppers paying for goods at 1,700 Co-operative stores have used the chip and pin machines at the tills to make their views known.

Eight out of ten customers agreed an ambitious global deal was needed at the summit, providing a clear signal that they want to see the politicians deliver a treaty that is both safe and fair.

This simple checkout research devise enables The Co-operative to gain a snapshot of customers’ views on a wide range of issues.The Co-operative Group
 
Chris Shearlock, Sustainable Development Manager at

“It shows that our customers and members are genuinely concerned about this and is in sharp contrast to recent suggestions in the media that the public are ‘apathetic’ on climate change issues. We were impressed by the degree with which our customers voted so overwhelming in favour of an ambitious global deal, irrespective of where in the UK they are from. 

“As a business, we have reduced our own emissions and pioneered support for renewable energy, but we understand that what is really needed is a robust legislative framework to address these very real concerns.

“This means a deal that includes tough and binding emission targets to keep global warming under the 2°C danger level and at least $200 billion a year to the developing world, in addition to existing aid commitments, to help them deal with the effects of climate change.”

To enable its members to voice their concerns, The Co-operative is chartering trains and coaches from 21 locations across the UK to take thousands of its members and customers to London on Saturday 5 December to take part in The Wave, the UK’s largest ever climate change protest arranged to coincides with the start of the Copenhagen Summit

Notes to Editors

  • The Co-operative’s involvement in The Wave builds upon many years of campaigning and taking action to combat climate change. As early as 1998, The Co-operative Bank began declining finance to businesses that invest in the extraction and processing of fossil fuels.
  • From 2006 to 2008, The Co-operative campaigned with Friends of the Earth for the introduction of a strong Climate Change Bill. This led to The Climate Change Act (2008), which made the UK the first country in the world to establish long term, legally binding emissions targets.
  • To get its own house in order, The Co-operative is investing nearly  £20m in energy efficiency measures around its 4,000 properties, buys nearly all its electricity from renewable sources and is actively building new wind farms on its land.
  • This year, The Co-operative will complete the second phase of its £2m Green Energy for Schools schemes, which will see 180 schools around the UK receive solar panels, wind turbines or biomass boilers.
  • The Wave is organised by the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition. 11 million strong, they are the committed supporters, campaigners, hearts, minds and voices of over 100 organisations. Further information on the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition can be found at: http://www.stopclimatechaos.org (opens in new window)