Sainsbury’s has committed to investing £1bn over the next twenty years to become a net-zero business across its own operations by 2040.

Sainsbury’s will use the £1bn investment to implement a programme of changes, with a focus on reducing carbon emissions, food waste, plastic packaging and water usage and increasing recycling, biodiversity and healthy and sustainable eating. The retailer’s current carbon footprint is one million tonnes, which is a 35 per cent absolute reduction in the last 15 years despite its space increasing by 46 per cent over the same time frame.

The retailer will work with the Carbon Trust to assess emissions and set science-based targets for reduction, publicly reporting on progress every six months. The targets will align the business with the goal to limit global warming to 1.5C and will work with suppliers to help them set their own net-zero commitments.

Mike Coupe, CEO of Sainsbury’s, said: “We have a duty to the communities we serve to continue to reduce the impact our business has on the environment and we are committing to reduce our own carbon emissions and become net-zero by 2040, ten years ahead of the government’s own targets, because 2050 isn’t soon enough.”

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