Tesco CEO sees climate change as opportunity for retailers

New York City Climate change will be one of the key growth drivers for retailers in the coming years, said Sir Terry Leahy, CEO, Tesco PLC, in a presentation Tuesday at the National Retail Federation’s 99th Annual Convention & Expo.

“The science seems incontrovertible,” Leahy said. “We now have got to shift the whole basis of consumption to low carbon. It won’t be less consumption -- people want a better life -- but it will be different consumption.”

For retailers, the shift to reduced carbon consumption represents a significant business opportunity, according to Leahy.

“Those retail businesses who respond first and best to the consumer’s need for low-carbon products and low-carbon living in an affordable way will do the best,” he said. “It is an opportunity for us all.”