If, as Tesco says, every little helps, imagine what £25m will do. That’s how much Britain’s biggest retailer is spending on setting up a “Sustainable Consumption Institute” (SCI) at Manchester University.
Tesco boss SIR Terry Leahy said that the SCI will help both consumers and retailers create a “sustainable greener, future”.
“It will explore how customers can be empowered and incentivised to buy green products and services and how business can adapt and train the next generation of environmental leaders,” said Sir Terry.
Tesco’s move is part of wider efforts to shrink its carbon footprint. It follows Marks & Spencer’s launch of a £200m eco strategy and similar moves at other top retailers.
What this adds up to is the supermarket giants setting a new, green market agenda. We all have to engage with issues of climate change and minimising environmental impact; but the fact that some of the top plcs in the country are rushing headlong down this route makes it even more urgent for the rest of business. And, of course, that means the timber industry too.
Wood has tremendous opportunities in the new eco-economy. But, as Dr Peter Bonfield wrote in a recent TTJ Wood Futures article, it’s not enough to say timber is sustainable any more. Its environmental merits need to be backed with carbon footprint minimising facts and figures. And as our Wood Futures columnist architect and Wood for Gold chairman Craig White says this week, in addition to delivering ‘green’ products, the timber sector must make them technically advanced and innovative. Then there are ‘timber miles’ to consider, and deforestation and illegal logging.
Tesco now aims to slash store CO2 emissions by 50% by 2020, M&S to cut store fuel bills by 25%. So what should the timber sector’s strategies and targets be? TTJ runs its Wood Futures features in association with the Medite 2016 Forum to give some ideas and inspiration. And on November 8 in London we’ve got a conference on similar theme: “Wood Futures –Sustainable Solutions”.
It won’t provide all the answers, but may give a few more valuable pointers – and, as they say, every little helps.
