Asda says it has eliminated 17 million miles from its supply chain as part of its sustainability programme.
The retailer has released figures showing that it reduced its carbon emissions by an 11.9 per cent – exceeding its target to achieve a ten per cent reduction by 2015.
And it said it was on track to deliver savings of some £800 million by 2020 through its sustainability initiatives and set out a series of commitments including:
* Invest £99m in its perishable supply chain by the end of 2015 to improve the freshness of its produce.
* Achieve a ten per cent reduction in the carbon impact of packaging by 2013.
* Reduce fresh food waste by ten per cent farm-to-fork by the end of 2015.
* Maintain a ten per cent absolute carbon footprint reduction by end of 2015.
* Source 100 per cent of Palm Oil from segregated RSPO sources by the end of 2015.
* Increase products from local suppliers to £500m by the end of 2013.
“Our approach to sustainability is based on the belief that protecting the environment and saving people money go hand in hand. Wasting resources is a waste of money – and we hate waste of any kind,” said Asda’s external affairs director Paul Kelly.
* Asda sales grew by 1.3 per cent in the third quarter, according to parent group Walmart.
