Sainsbury’s has opened its flagship “green” store, built with consideration for the use of energy, water, waste, timber and land. The store is aiming to be one of the first supermarkets to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating for its commitment to sustainable construction, and has been specifically designed to reduce the amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere. The pioneering store will save 40% of its overall CO2 emissions. This will be achieved by using cutting edge technology... ...Read more »

Even though agriculture cannot be covered by an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), the Australian Government must take steps to ensure consumers can still afford basic food items, the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) warned today. “Any ETS will cause pain to businesses and households… people are slowly coming to grips with that reality,” NFF President David Crombie said. “But it could be crippling for Australia’s food production, threatening to damage our... ...Read more »

A new campaign has been launched in the UK challenging businesses and the public sector to end so-called ‘greenwash’ by achieving the new “Carbon Trust Standard” certificate - the only way for organisations to prove they are tackling climate change and have made genuine reductions in their carbon emissions. The ‘UK Carbon Trust’ has come up with the initiative as the global environmental movement gathers pace. In Australia the ACCC has become concerned over ‘greenwashing’... ...Read more »

New research from international food and grocery expert IGD has revealed that ethical food shopping is now mainstream in Europe as consumers base their purchase decisions on a growing number of factors. Tens of millions of shoppers across Europe regularly consider factors such as organic, Fairtrade or local sourcing when making food purchasing decisions. “Until recently, ethical food shoppers were seen as niche,” Chief Executive Joanne Denney-Finch told IGD’s Global Retailing conference.... ...Read more »