Climate change

No one disputes that the world is getting hotter, ice shelves are melting, species are becoming extinct, climates are changing and fossil fuels are being used up. The case for action is stronger than ever.

Our 10-year carbon reduction plan

We have developed a carbon reduction programme and set a target to achieve a 15% absolute reduction in our operational carbon footprint by 2020/21 against a 2010/11 baseline. Moving from a relative to an absolute reduction target marks a significant change in our approach.

In setting this target, we kept our plans to grow the size of our business at the forefront of our mind. We created a forecast of business growth and its potential effects on our carbon footprint, and overlaid this with our plans to reduce emissions. This gives us a clear view on how we will achieve our target.

Continuing to engage Partners in helping us to reach our target will be key. We plan to develop an engagement programme to show Partners what they can do to help to tackle different environmental issues at home and at work.

While we have focused on setting a long-term carbon reduction approach for our own operations, we plan to look in more detail at the carbon impacts of our supply chain and our customers in the future. We will also regularly review our progress and explore opportunities to stretch beyond 15% and further align with Government targets.

“ We are very pleased to see the Partnership commit to reducing its operational carbon emissions by 15% over the next 10 years – especially given that the company expects strong growth over the same period. This demonstrates awareness within the Partnership that tackling climate change is a precondition of ensuring future success. The Partnership has also recognised the scale of the emissions that lie outside its direct corporate boundary. It has most to gain from building climate resilience in its supply chain, by offering low-carbon products and services, and by helping its customers reduce their impacts. We would therefore like to see the company address these wider risks and opportunities more explicitly.”

Jonathon Porritt, Forum for the Future

81% of Partnership’s operational waste diverted from landfill

20% reduction in Waitrose’s refrigeration and cooling direct emissions since 2008/09