Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Energy use in refrigeration and food preparation is necessary to provide safe, fresh, quality food and an attractive shopping environment. It is one of our most significant direct environmental impacts. Another impact is transportation and distribution, which consumes fuel and produces CO2 emissions, air pollution and noise. Our companies are also phasing out ozone-damaging refrigerants, managing refrigerant use and maintaining refrigeration systems to minimize leakage.
Diesel consumption and CO2 emissions
from transporting products between warehouses and stores
| Diesel consumption in millions of liters | CO2 emissions1 in thousands of tonnes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 2006 | 2007 | 2006 | |
| Stop & Shop/Giant-Landover2 | 16 | 17 | 43 | 48 |
| Giant-Carlisle3 | 14 | 14 | 43 | 40 |
| Albert Heijn | 18 | 15 | 49 | 42 |
| Albert/Hypernova | 6 | 6 | 17 | 17 |
| ICA | 24 | 22 | 65 | 59 |
- Calculation based on IPCC conversion data.
- Does not include any third-party diesel consumption.
- Does include major third-party diesel consumption.
Electricity consumption in warehouses and stores
| Warehouses | Stores (sales area) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in kWh/sq.m | 2007 | 2006 | 2007 | 2006 |
| Stop & Shop/Giant-Landover | 372 | 519 | 821 | 868 |
| Giant-Carlisle | 329 | 323 | 801 | 748 |
| Albert Heijn | 145 | 154 | 463 | 480 |
| ICA Sweden | 247 | 249 | 500 | 522 |
| ICA Norway | 234 | 249 | 556 | 568 |
Refrigerants installed in stores
| in thousands of kilograms at year end | 2007 | CFCs 2006 |
2007 | HFCs 2006 |
2007 | HCFCs 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stop & Shop/Giant-Landover | 4 | 5 | 448 | 416 | 383 | 409 |
| Giant-Carlisle | 0 | 0 | 135 | 124 | 77 | 82 |
| Albert Heijn | 0 | 0 | 157 | 142 | 24 | 28 |
Tracking energy and refrigerant use
Saving energy is accomplished through tracking and benchmarking energy consumption and refrigerants used, investing in energy-efficient equipment, developing innovative solutions with vendors, exchanging best practices among operating companies, and training staff in energy-saving practices. Any reduction in energy use represents an economic as well as environmental opportunity.
Stop & Shop/Giant-Landover have implemented with energysaving innovations in dozens of stores successful elements to larger groups of stores. We've installed closed doors on dairy coolers, lighting reduction during off-hours, reflective white roof membranes to reduce heat absorption and use less airconditioning in the summer, and reflective shields on lighting in parking lots to reduce light pollution. The company has introduced skylights to help illuminate the sales floor, and special dimming systems that dim conventional lighting, depending on the amount of daylight harvested. Barriers to energy-saving features include cost, customer resistance (on issues such as open versus closed coolers) and impact on food quality.
ICA uses the CoolICA system in around 340 of its Norwegian stores to monitor energy consumption and temperatures in all refrigerated display cases and freezers. CoolICA has reduced energy use and service costs and achieved better food quality through more accurate monitoring of temperatures. ICA warehouses in Sweden are also taking energy-conservation measures such as reusing waste energy from cooling systems and sending this energy back into the local public heating network.
Albert Heijn has lighting systems that change in intensity according to the store's needs during various parts of the day, saving energy through dimmer lights at night. Albert Heijn is also running pilots of several energy-saving systems, which include the reuse of heat generated by refrigeration units to heat stores, LED lighting, automatic light switching and measurement systems to track energy use.
"Good" energy
Stop & Shop announced that it is purchasing Sterling Planet Green-e certified renewable energy certificates for its new store in Kennebunk, Maine. Stop & Shop is also taking part in a program in which utilities and grid operators encourage customers to turn off inessential equipment, shift schedules or take other steps toward greater energy efficiency - especially during periods of peak demand when the power grid threatens to be overburdened. The company is able, through various measures, to cut energy use by 40 megawatts when asked. This is equal to the power output of a plant that otherwise might be fired up to meet high demand.
Water consumption
| in millions of liters | 2007 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|
| Stop & Shop/Giant-Landover | 2,063 | 2,081 |
| Giant-Carlisle | 816 | 740 |
| Albert Heijn | 322 | 319 |
In 2007, Stop & Shop and Giant-Landover were the only supermarket chains in the United States selected to participate in the US Green Building Council (USGBC) Portfolio Program pilot for LEED-EB volume certification for existing buildings. The company was selected as a result of its environmental innovation and early commitment to and success in developing green and energy-efficient stores.
Efficient transport and distribution
Efficient distribution systems are key to food retail - from just-in-time product ordering systems to making optimal use of truck capacity. By working to reduce the environmental impacts of transportation and distribution we are often also reducing cost. Good alignment - of stores, distribution centers and suppliers - contributes to product quality and sales, enhances efficiency and reduces waste.
We believe that working to reduce waste is a significant aspect of environmentally responsible behavior.
Our companies use continuous replenishment, integrating store ordering systems with distribution centers and suppliers to minimize the transport of unwanted goods. This cuts fuel consumption, reducing CO2 emissions and lowering costs. To minimize emissions and costs, we maximize the load factor, ensuring that trucks carry as much product as possible on every trip. Computer systems enable us to plan the most efficient trucking routes and loading procedures. Our companies are also introducing even more fuel-efficient trucks into their fleets.
A number of our companies, including ICA and Stop & Shop/ Giant-Landover, are training drivers in methods that reduce fuel usage and CO2 output. Improving driving habits at Stop & Shop/ Giant-Landover enabled the company to improve its fleet fuel economy by 5% in one year's time.
In addition, our companies use backhauling, in which goods from a supplier are picked up on a truck's return trip to a distribution center, to reduce the number of empty kilometers driven.
Albert Heijn has silent trucks that allow the company to deliver to stores at night and in the early morning without disturbing neighbors. This enables the company's trucking fleet to avoid traffic during peak daytime hours, reducing travel time and energy use.
To reduce their fuel-consumption, Giant-Carlisle, Stop & Shop and Giant-Landover have introduced a truck idling system that switches the truck engine off if it has been left running longer than five minutes. Also, Giant-Carlisle uses recycled automotive oil in special furnaces to help heat its distribution centers.
In Sweden, ICA has outsourced all transport to independent haulers. ICA requires that transport companies have a plan on how to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and carcinogens in relation to the miles they drive. All drivers must receive training on conservative driving techniques, which can reduce fuel consumption by 10-15%.
ICA continually scrutinizes other steps it can take to reduce CO2 output, including limiting business travel whenever practical. ICA has guidelines for meetings that clearly encourage employees, whenever possible, to connect using telephone and video conferencing instead of traveling to meet in person.
