Helen Dickinson

British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson said that there was still a long way to go to reduce emissions in the industry

Tesco, Morrisons and Asda have been commended by the British Retail Consortium during its Climate Action Week for launching a series of sustainability initiatives.

The retailers gained recognition on Thursday evening as part of the Climate Action Roadmap Showcase, which aims to highlight the industry’s commitment to sustainability.

The event covered five areas of carbon emission reduction including supply chains, logistics, properties, reducing waste and changing consumer behaviour.

Tesco’s partnership with food sharing social enterprise Olio was recognised for helping to redistribute 4,500 tonnes of unsold food, reducing food waste.

Morrisons was commended for working with farmers to lower emissions in the production of its beef, pork, lamb and eggs as it pushes to be supplied exclusively by net zero farmers by 2030.

Meanwhile Asda’s implementation of new biogas trucks, which removed 50,000 tonnes of CO2 from its operations, also received recognition.

“The showcase has given us greater insight into the amazing work being done by the retail industry to cut carbon emissions. But, we still have a long way to go,” said BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson.

“While I wish to congratulate all our winning entries, this is only the beginning of what is needed. With retail responsible for 30% of all household greenhouse gas emissions, the responsibility on the industry, and our opportunity to make a difference are enormous.”

Labour shadow minister for climate change, Kerry McCarthy MP, said: “British businesses and industries have the opportunity to lead the world on decarbonisation and benefit from the low-cost green technologies of the future, said

“The British Retail Consortium’s Climate Action Roadmap is a great example of ambitious climate leadership.”