Supermarkets 'failing to tackle greenhouse gas emissions'

Supermarkets are failing to tackle the greenhouse gas emissions of their fridge and freezer systems, a report claimed today.

Last Updated: 8:04AM GMT 02 Feb 2009

The survey by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) identified Waitrose as the worst offender among the big five stores, despite a pledge to remove harmful greenhouse gases from its units.
According to the EIA, supermarkets are the UK's biggest emitter of HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons), which were introduced to fridge and freezer systems to replace ozone-depleting gases such as CFCs but are 4,000 times more powerful in causing climate warming than carbon dioxide.
There are "climate-friendly" options, such as CO2 itself, ammonia and hydrocarbons, but the EIA report said most supermarkets had failed to take sufficient action to introduce alternatives.
The report's author, Fionnuala Walravens, said supermarkets' failure to do much about the powerful greenhouse gases from their refrigeration systems was "hugely disappointing".
A Waitrose spokesman said: "We are committed to playing our part in tackling climate change and we invest in business-wide initiatives to achieve this - for example our stores use only green electricity.
"Our five-year, £55m refrigeration programme has so far achieved a 19 per cent improvement in shop energy efficiency. In addition, our robust maintenance programme includes leak detection in all stores - monitored 24 hours a day for immediate response.
"Large sections of our business now use natural refrigerants and we have are further extending their use this year."
The league table of supermarkets is as follows:
1. M&S (scored 42/100): Clear leader through their supplier training and most ambitious plans for replacing HFCs. Also the most transparent about what they were doing.
Still only have three stores using climate-friendly alternatives and not yet switched behind the scenes or for transport refrigeration.
2. Tesco (32/100): Funding research into development of climate-friendly refrigerants and investing in both practical training and e-learning.
Biggest overall contributor to HFC emissions of all the supermarkets.
3. Asda (24/100): Innovative ideas in relation to climate-friendly refrigeration and have good energy efficiency targets.
Very high level of leakage - direct emissions - and not doing as much as the others on alternatives.
4. Co-op (23/100): Future use of climate-friendly refrigerants looks promising and it is already being used in some behind-the-scenes equipment. Have good energy efficiency targets.
Leakages increased between 2006 and 2007. Have not done anything about training engineers.
5. Sainsbury (20/100): Called for Government intervention to support the transition to natural refrigerants. Have good energy efficiency targets.
Lack of investment in climate-friendly refrigeration and corporate social responsibility report shows they're not meeting energy efficiency targets.
6. Morrisons (17/100): Planning more testing of climate-friendly refrigeration. Won Green End User of the Year Award at the Cooling Industry Awards 2008.
Not transparent about what they are doing - they wouldn't provide a detailed response to our survey. Appear to be lagging behind other supermarkets.
7. Waitrose (12/100): All regional distribution centres already use or will use climate-friendly refrigeration by 2010.
Very vague response to our survey.
8. Aldi (1/100): One point for work Aldi has been doing in Germany on climate-friendly refrigerants.
Refused to participate and nothing in CSR report.
9. Lidl (0/100): Nothing revealed. Refused to participate and did not send CSR report despite their website offering a copy if a request is sent in writing.
9. Somerfield (0/100): Nothing revealed. Refused to participate and CSR report does not give any information on the use of climate-friendly refrigerants.
10. Iceland (-1/100): Nothing revealed. Refused to participate and no CSR report available. Minus point for going back on 1999 commitment.