31 Jan 07

The supermarket chain Tesco is in talks with the University's Environmental Change Institute (ECI) about research into measuring the 'carbon footprint' of the items on the shelves. Tesco has agreed to work with ECI initially on a project to track the carbon footprint of a handful of staff working in an Oxfordshire store. The project, which starts this month, aims to find out how Tesco staff use energy at home, in their travel and at work in an effort to engage them and influence their behaviour.

A £5m project to create a Sustainable Consumption Institute (SCI) was recently outlined in speech by Tesco Chief Executive, Sir Terry Leahy. He said: 'Tesco will take the first step towards developing this Institute by commissioning work from the Environmental Change Institute at Oxford University, on identifying and overcoming the carbon pressure points in our own operations and supply chain. If we are to tell our customers the carbon cost of every product, we must also minimise that cost.' In order to do this, the ECI is examining the possibility of organising a workshop with the main stakeholders in a carbon-labelling scheme to promote a unified scheme based on sound research.

Dr Brenda Boardman, from the ECI, said: 'We are delighted to be talking with Tesco at this early stage of development of carbon labelling. This is an important initiative that has the potential to alter both consumer purchasing decisions and retailers' buying strategies.' The project forms a natural extension to the work that ECI has been doing on reducing household energy demand and on encouraging responsibility with personal carbon allowances.

A spokesperson from Tesco said: 'We have decided that the ultimate home for our SCI will be aligned with or part of an institution with considerable standing and hope that it will be staffed with people who are eminent and respected in their field.' Key topics for the new Institute will be to examine consumer awareness and understanding of the impact of their purchasing behaviour, as well as researching the opportunities to change British society towards more sustainable consumption.