Retail coalition unveils eco-friendly crusade

By Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs Correspondent

Tuesday, 24 April 2007

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From cars to mobile phones, British corporations have launched "green" products and services to spur shoppers into fighting climate change.

Tesco, Sky and other companies announced schemes yesterday such as an energy efficiency black box in cars and lowering the washing temperature of clothes. Organisers said homes adopting the initiatives could save one tonne of CO2 in three years. Should every household adopt them, they said the saving would be 25 million tonnes - the amount of emissions generated by Scotland and Wales.

However, environmentalists said the Government was relying on "piecemeal " corporate moves rather than taking more comprehensive action. Friends of the Earth said the initiative was a "step in the right direction", but warned there was a long way to go. "The fact these companies are signalling their willingness to help consumers become green is welcome," said Tony Juniper, the group's executive director. "But at the end of the day this is only a small number of companies ... We have to as a matter of urgency de-carbonise the economy and that can only be done by Government introducing new regulations."

Launching the We're In This Together initiative in central London were the Prime Minister, the Environment Secretary David Miliband and the bosses of British Gas, B&Q, Tesco, Sky, Marks & Spencer, O2, Royal SunAlliance and Barclaycard.

Barclaycard is launching a "green" credit card that will award customers points for environmentally-friendly purchases; British Gas a free energy check; and B&Q half-price loft insulation. Tesco is aiming to increase five-fold its sales of energy-efficient light bulbs, Marks & Spencer is changing labels on 70 per cent of clothes to 30 degrees, while mobile phone customers will be rewarded by O2 for keeping existing handsets when renewing their contracts.

In a trial, the insurers More Than plan to install a black box in the cars of customers that will point out if they rev or brake too much for fuel efficiency.

Mr Blair said: "If you can get companies to make products that make it easy to make changes in their behaviour - and we can get the right degree of public awareness - then you have got not just the Government but individuals playing their part." He added that it was important to show leadership in the battle against climate change.

The Climate Group, which advises companies on tackling global warming, has been assembling the coalition for several months at Downing Street.

Sir Terry Leahy, Tesco chief executive, said that firms now needed to build climate change into their business model.

The products, the claims and the reality

* BARCLAYCARD

Scheme: 'Green' card

Claim: Half Barclaycard Breathe's profits to go towards reducing carbon emissions

Reality: Value for energy-saving products but less so for others

* B&Q

Scheme: Half-price insulation

Claim: Homes use one and a half tonnes less carbon dioxide every year

Reality: The half-price offer is short term and ends in June

* MARKS & SPENCER