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COLES LAUNCHES SUSTAINABILITY DRIVE A new and refreshed sustainability strategy is part of Coles’ plan to be the most sustainable supermarket in Australia. Coles Group plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with the aim of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, with its new ‘Together to Zero’ sustainability pledge beginning with its commitment to 100 per cent renewable electricity by the end of FY25. The supermarket chain also aims to reduce combined Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by more than 75 per cent by the end of FY30 (from an FY20 baseline). Scope 1 covers direct emissions from owned or controlled sources. Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating and cooling consumed by the reporting company. Coles says the new targets will be “brought to life” at the launch of its newest sustainability concept store at Moonee Ponds in Melbourne. Coles Group CEO Steven Cain says Together to Zero “underlines our commitment to work together with all stakeholders towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions”. “A key part of our ambition to be Australia’s most sustainable supermarket will be reducing our environmental impact, and we have a responsibility to help create a better Australia for future generations,” he said. Additionally, Coles Group has signed an agreement with Lal Lal Wind Farms near Ballarat in Victoria. This, it says, will further increase Coles’ renewable electricity to 45 per cent of total consumption by FY23. From July 2022, Coles will also source more than 90 per cent of its Queensland electricity requirements from renewable sources. Together to Zero also involves a long-term aspiration towards zero emissions, zero waste and zero hunger. Coles says it is committed to helping customers understand which package they can and can’t recycle, via adding the recycling logo to their Coles brand products. It adds that its partnerships also help Australians in need while driving improved sustainability outcomes, including through food donations equivalent to more than 138 million meals since 2011. Coffee cup recycling station at Coles Moonee Ponds. NEWS Plastic packaging will be reduced using new packageless refill stations that dispense laundry soaps, household detergents from Surf and Omo. Catherine Fitzgerald, using the new Sukin refill station. THE DISTRIBUTORS APPOINTS NEW CHAIR The Distributors has appointed Brett Barclay as the Chair of the AUSFEC Board. With more than 25 years’ experience in the impulse channel, Mr Barclay is a founding director of Convenience Measures Australia (CMA), a business focused on providing research, insights and support to the convenience channel in Australia. Before he joined CMA, Mr Barclay worked for both PepsiCo and Cadbury Schweppes. Mr Barclay presents his channel insights regularly as an industry speaker, writes the AACS (Australasian Association of Convenience Stores) State of Industry Report and has been a non-executive director of AACS since 2008. In 2019, he became the regional representative in Australia and New Zealand for the US National Association of Convenience Stores. MAR/APR, 2021 CONVENIENCE WORLD 5