Green consumerism can avert climate disaster, say top UK firms

Tesco, Coca-Cola and Reckitt Benckiser bosses press politicians for action and argue against need to curb economic growth

Patrick Wintour, guardian.co.uk 16 Oct 09;

Climate change catastrophe can be averted by "greening" consumer behaviour rather than by curbing economic growth and mass consumerism, leaders of some of the world's biggest businesses including Tesco, Coca-Cola and Reckitt Benckiser argued today.

They urged politicians to be braver at the Copenhagen talks on climate change in December, saying voters could be persuaded of the need to act. They were speaking, along with David Cameron and Professor Robert Puttnam, the sociologist and advocate of the importance of social capital, at a conference in London on the role of the consumer and business in combating climate change.

The degree of focus on climate change by the businesspeople would have been impossible five years ago. But some in the audience angrily insisted that they underestimated the need to slow consumerism.

Sir Terry Leahy, the chief executive of Tesco, told the conference that combating climate change was now the number one priority of his company, and announced that his multibillion-pound business would be zero-carbon by 2050. "Survival is the issue, not just for our business, but the entire planet," he said.

The president of Coca-Cola, Muhtar Kent, warned politicians: "Act now or you will fail, and so will the world. Politicians need to think like businesses and think about the long term." He claimed that consumers now put the environment at the top of their priorities in all of its customer surveys, including in developing countries such as Brazil and Mexico.

Bart Becht, the chief executive of Reckitt Benckiser, expressed his fear that a deal would not be made in Copenhagen. "Are we there yet? We are nowhere near. Government is not set up to handle global issues effectively. They have short time horizons, and elections, but we are institutions built to last."

Paul Polman, of Unilever, said: "We need a whole new business model, but it takes time."

The businessmen repeatedly argued that neither regulation nor government would be sufficient to bring emissions down, pointing out that 70% of emissions came from consumers.

Kent said Coca-Cola's surveys suggested that as much as 70% of future advertising would have an environmental focus, and his aim was to reduce by 40% the energy footprint of its 10m refrigerators across 206 countries.

He said: "I think it is a fallacy to think growth and a sustainable world are mutually exclusive."

Kent pointed out in the next decade there would be many millions more middle class people living in cities. "How can businesses continue to serve the needs of these new middle classes and yet embed sustainability into business plans? That is the goal."

Leahy praised the carbon reduction targets being set by governments, but said: "It is only by realising our potential as people, citizens, consumers, as users that we can turn targets into reality. It will be a transition achieved not by some great invention or some great act of parliament, but through the billions of choices made by consumers every day all over the world."

He warned that too often climate change was seen as a threat that "is turned into a demand for retreat. Consumers are told they must accept ever greater limits on their ambitions and a reduction on what they can desire all so their emissions may be cut. This is not just unrealistic, but also fails to see the enormous positive potential of consumers."

Tesco replace 'Bogof' with 'buy one get one free - later'
'Buy one get one free' will be replaced by 'Buy one get one free – later' under plans by Tesco for a 'green consumer revolution' to cut waste.
Louise Gray, The Telegraph 16 Oct 09;

Consumers have long been frustrated by Buy one get one free or 'Bogof' offers that give away products for nothing but ultimately mean food is wasted because it has gone off by the time you get around to eating it.

By introducing a 'Buy one get one free – Later' or 'Bogofl' on perishable items, Tesco hopes to minimise the amount of food people throw away. Consumers will be given vouchers that last for months at a time so they can claim the free item at a later date.

Sir Terry Leahy, chief executive of Tesco, said the initiative was part of a wider drive to help consumers waste less such as cutting packaging and offering refills in store.

"As one small, new step we will adapt our 'buy one get one free' offers in perishable foods to give our customers a new opportunity – 'buy one get one free – later'," he said. "So customers will be able to get that other salad or vegetable or yogurt when they want it and when it will be used, not all together when it may – in the end – go to waste."

Consumers account for 75 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.

In the run up to a key UN conference in Copenhagen in December, where world leaders are expected to agree a new deal on climate change, some of the globe's leading brands met to discuss how consumers can contribute to cutting carbon.

The Sustainable Consumption Institute conference in London brought together the heads of Coca-Cola, Unilever and SC Johnson to talk about cutting their customers' carbon footprints.

Tesco has already cut prices on goods like energy saving light bulbs and will encourage consumers to buy more low carbon alternatives, like low impact washing powders. The supermarket, where more than one in every £7 is spent by consumers, will also offer points on the Tesco Clubcards for buying "carbon conscious purchasing".

A Tesco Home Energy and Emissions Service will send out green auditors to people's homes and offer free advice on insulation, double glazing and fitting solar panels.

David Cameron, the leader of the Conservative Party, who attended the announcement of the new initiative yesterday said Government should be using the "carrot rather than the stick" to encourage behaviour change.

He said a Tory government would offer incentives for recycling, more money to help people insulate their homes and help for businesses to sell green products like electric cars.

He also announced a new working group that will encourage companies to phase out standby mode and ensure all electrical products have economy mode as the default setting.

"For a Green Consumer Revolution to happen, we need government to work with business and consumers. We should use the mechanisms of what we describe as the post-bureaucratic age, creating frameworks rather than rules; influencing behaviour rather than issuing diktats; understanding human behaviour rather than ignoring it," he said

However, Helen Rimmer, food campaigner with Friends of the Earth, said it was "staggeringly hypocritical" for companies like Tesco to claim the high ground on environmental issues.

She said that if Tesco really wanted to help the planet it will take more than replacing 'bogofs' with 'bogofls'.