M&S has become the first major UK retailer to declare itself fully'carbon neutral'.The news comes five years after the company launched a sustainability project,'Plan A',which would aim to ensure sustainable policies are at the heart of its business.
The major retailer,which has 460 branches,announced the news in a report which sets out in detail the progress it has made in meeting 180 commitments that it pledged in 2007 and 2010.
The report reveals that 138 commitments,ranging from energy saving and the reduction of carbon emissions to waste management and the sustainable sourcing of timber have been met.
The company says it has reduced energy usage by 28 per cent through the use of more energy-efficient lighting,daylight harvesting and the use of more efficient refrigeration technology.Carbon neutrality has been achieved when renewable energy generation and offsetting is also taken into account.
In a sign that there is also a strong business case for going green,the retailer said the net benefit of Plan A to the business last year was GBP 105m–a 50 per cent increase on the GBP 70m delivered in 2010/11.
Mike Barry,head of sustainable business at M&S,said:"There are a couple of disappointments but these are challenging economic times and M&S deserves eight out of ten for making some substantive achievements in the first five years of Plan A.This detailed evaluation shows the powerful business case for the initiative.We look forward to working further with our 21 million shoppers to make further progress by 2020."
