Sainsbury's launches £1bn sustainability plan

Planned initiatives include carbon-saving technologies for new and existing stores that will drive down energy usage, thereby reducing energy costs. There will also be an increased focus on providing customers with more British food as the company seeks to double the amount it currently sells, as well as a target to increase sales of fairly traded products to £1 billion.

The commitments address four key areas of focus:

• Sustainable and Healthy Products - including Best for British: By 2020, we’ll double the amount of British food we sell
• Operational Excellence - including Operational carbon emission reduction: By 2020, we’ll have reduced our operational carbon emissions by 30 per cent absolute and 65 per cent relative, compared with 2005.
• Colleagues - including 20 years service: By 2020, 20,000 of our colleagues will have reached 20 years service at Sainsbury’s.
• Communities - including New jobs and skills: By 2020, we’ll create 50,000 new jobs in the UK.

The plan was met with praise by the Rt Hon David Cameron MP, the Prime Minister, who commented: “I welcome today’s announcement from Sainsbury’s. It is a great example of the principles of Every Business Commits - helping to create jobs and growth whilst also tackling our shared social and environmental challenges, investing in their workforce and in our communities, and building a bigger, stronger society.”

The industry-leading targets are intended to help shift everyday behaviour in favour of sustainability, while still providing the value and quality that UK shoppers demand. It will also help shoppers make more nutritious, sustainable and ethical purchasing decisions.

Sainsbury’s chief executive, Justin King, said: “Given the scale of our business, we believe these 20 commitments represent the most ambitious sustainability targets in our industry.

“If we are to meet the sustainability challenges that lie ahead, it is important that companies such as Sainsbury’s invest in the future right now. We do not see this plan as a luxury, it is rather, an essential investment that will ensure we can continue to provide customers with quality food at fair prices, sustainably.

“This represents another step in helping our customers live well for less, following hot on the heels of our re-launch of by Sainsbury’s and Brand Match. The 20 by 20 shows customers that they can indeed have greater quality at lower prices, without compromising on standards or their values.”

One of the targets is a commitment to double sales of British food. Sainsbury’s is already an industry leader in the sale of British produce, spending over £4 billion each year with its UK suppliers, and its pledge to double sales of British food will ensure it continues to be at the forefront of British sourcing.

NFU president, Peter Kendall, said: “We’re delighted to see Sainsbury’s commitment to double its sourcing of British food. It recognises the high quality and standards of production that British farmers meet and that consumers increasingly expect in the food that they buy. This additional demand will send a really positive signal to the industry at a time when farmers are facing massive investment pressures.”

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said: “The food chain is of huge economic and environmental importance and supermarkets have already done a lot of good work which reflects this. People realise that good value food is about more than just price, even in difficult times such as these.

“More and more we’re seeing that consumers want to know that their food has been produced to higher standards of welfare and sustainability, supports farming and rural communities, and generates as little excess packaging as possible - so I’m delighted that these priorities are at the heart of the 20 by 20 initiative.”

Sainsbury’s has always aimed to be a leader in sustainability and ethics. The company has transformed the market for Fairtrade products, becoming the world’s largest Fairtrade retailer. It is also the largest retailer of MSC certified fish and RSPCA Freedom Food certified products. Sainsbury’s also has a long track record of pursuing climate change and biodiversity strategies, and championing community investment, not least through its support for Comic Relief and the Paralympic Games. 

Download Sainsbury’s 20 by 20 Sustainability Plan PDF 1.34MB. For more information on Sainsbury’s Corporate Responsibility targets, please visit http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/cr

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