Tesco Goes for the GREEN

Tesco, the fifth-largest retailer in the world, has taken another major step in its ongoing effort to reduce its energy use, opening an environmental flagship in Wick, Scotland. The 50,000-sq.-ft. supermarket boasts some unusual features, including a wooden frame and plywood external walls (all of the wood used in the store came from sustainable forests in Finland), and wind turbines on the roof. The carbon-footprint of the store is expected to be 50% smaller than a conventional supermarket of comparable size.

“Tesco’s new store at Wick is a great example of how businesses can incorporate innovative ideas into new buildings and create stores with low-carbon footprints,” said Garry Felgate, director of delivery and external relations at the Carbon Trust, an independent company funded by the British government in response to the threat of climate change.

Tesco is working in partnership with the Trust to reduce its overall energy demand and save carbon. The chain has pledged to cut energy use in its buildings so that by 2010 it will be using half as much energy per square foot than it was in 2000.

To read more about Tesco’s eco-friendly flagship and view additional photos, click on “Web Exclusives” on www.chainstoreage.com/csa/webexclusive.