London, UK: Marks & Spencer has achieved its carbon reduction target for refrigeration emissions three years early. It achieved a 54% cut since 2006/07 to 4.3-tonnes CO2e per 1,000 sq ft. The target was halving emissions by 2015.
Refrigeration emissions were cut by 46% to 70,000 tonnes due to improved maintenance and replacement of R404A with R407A in 387 stores and installing CO2 systems in 49 stores. Marks & Spencer still has 11% of its stores using R22, mostly in air-conditioning systems, but expetcs to replace the gas by 2014 – the legal deadline.
M&S says it is the first major retailer to be certified as carbon neutral, through all its stores, offices and warehouses.
Total emissions were down 22% from the 2006-07 baseline to 158,000 tonnes CO2e and offsets were purchased for the remainder.
