Read our latest advice and updates.
Read our latest advice and updates.
Take our Brexit readiness survey here.
Read our latest advice and updates.
Our Ten-Point Climate Plan
It cannot be overstated: climate change is real and life-threatening. The science is clear and indisputable. Climate is already affecting the foods we all rely on and the people who produce them. In successive years our members have voted for us to formally recognise the climate emergency then accelerate our response. This ten-point plan sets out how we intend to do so.
“We are facing monumental climate change. We must recognise that we are in part responsible and that we have to do more and quicker. Let's be bold and take collective action to tackle climate change.”
1: Make long-term changes to how we do business
We will be a Net Zero business by 2040, for our operations and our products.
2: Set clear short-term milestones
By 2025 we will reduce the impact of our operations by 50% and our products by 11%.
3: Rapidly reduce carbon from our operations and products
We will take clear, practical steps to reduce carbon from running our business and the products we sell.
4: Compensate for our climate impact
Our operations will be carbon neutral from 2021 and own brand products by 2025.
5: Make lower carbon choices easier for customers
We will support our customers and members to make lower carbon choices.
6: Direct our finance to reducing carbon
This includes carbon offsets and aligning pension funds to low carbon investments.
7: Help suppliers on the climate change front line
We will support our Fairtrade producers to adapt to climate change realities and to become more climate resilient.
8: Campaign for climate action
We will lobby and advocate with Government to press for the necessary systemic change.
9: Co-operate for change at scale
We will actively work together across sectors, sharing plans and solutions, seeking to align rather than compete.
10: Make our climate plan a priority
The pay of our Food CEO will be linked to achieving our carbon reduction targets.
What do suppliers need to do?
Wait to hear from us
At this stage, please don't take any action. We're taking a strategic approach to this, which means we're targeting specific actions with specific suppliers against our timeline. We'll reach out to you.
If you have any questions in the meantime, please get in touch at climateplan@coop.co.uk.
What does this mean for suppliers?
Phased approach
We recognise the scale of this ambition and the impact this will have on how we work with our suppliers. Our Ethics, Sustainability and Policy Team are taking a targeted and phased approach to supplier engagement.
In the first phase (2021), we'll write to our top 100 (by T/O) suppliers (branded and own-label) to understand how their climate change plans align with ours and their current approach to carbon neutrality and net zero.
Value chain and product development
Suppliers will work with Product Development and Value Chain on opportunities to reduce carbon impacts via product reformulation – we will be in touch with specific suppliers when we identify an opportunity.
Farming groups
We're already working with our dairy and beef farming groups on opportunities to improve farm efficiencies and reduce greenhouse gasses. Over the course of 2021 our Agriculture and Fisheries Team will be roll out a Carbon Toolkit to support them.
Co-op Power
We'll introduce Co-op Power, our provider of green electricity, to suppliers over the course of the year.