Page 11 - Demo

COLES’ COMMUNITY SUPPORT REACHES NEW RECORD In a year marked by drought, bushfires and Covid-19, Coles and its customers, team members and suppliers are said to have contributed a “record” $139 million in FY20 to support communities across Australia – claimed to be more than 20 per cent higher than for the previous 12 months. According to Coles’ recently released ‘Sustainability Report’, the most significant component of the retailer’s support for the community was food donated to national partners SecondBite and Foodbank to feed Australians who were facing tough times in FY20. Coles’ $139 million in community support comprised $125 million directly from Coles in cash, in-kind support, management costs and time, and $14 million contributed by Coles’ customers, team members and suppliers from activities such as fundraising. Achievements also outlined in the Coles ‘Sustainability Report’ include: • Equivalent of more than 147 million meals provided to people in need since 2003. • More than 1 billion pieces of flexible plastic through REDcycle since 2011. • 79 per cent of waste diverted from landfill in FY20, compared with 74 per cent in the previous year. • More than 4700 indigenous team members employed at Coles, 16 per cent more than in FY19. • More than 2400 Own Brand products displaying Health Star Rating (by the end of FY20). • A reduction of 36.5 per cent in greenhouse gas emissions from 2009. • Direct milk sourcing with dairy farmers in Victoria and south coast of NSW. • More than 2000 Own Brand products displaying the Australasian Recycling Label to help customers to recycle. • Broadest range of RSPCA- approved products of any major Australian supermarket. • 18.3 per cent improvement in total recordable injury frequency rate compared with FY19. • Awarded ‘Most popular retail and fast- moving consumer goods employer’ in the AFR Top 100 Most Popular Graduate Employers 2020 Awards. • ‘Best sustainable seafood supermarket in Australia’ award from MSC. • ‘Large retailer sector’ award from the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation in FY20. Coles CEO Steven Cain says the company’s contribution to the community and the environment is central to its strategy of becoming Australia’s most sustainable supermarket, and to help all Australians to lead healthier, happier lives. “As one of Australia’s largest companies, we understand our responsibility to support our community and minimise our impact on the environment,” he said. “With drought in much of the country, floods in other parts, bushfires and then the Covid-19 global pandemic, FY20 was a year like no other. We’re grateful to our team members, community partners, suppliers and customers for working with us to help reach new milestones for sustainability despite these challenges.” In addition to its regular donations to SecondBite and Foodbank from supermarkets and distribution centres, Coles says it has donated groceries to the retail value of $7.9 million during the Covid-19 period. NEWS COLES SOURCES CLEANER ELECTRICITY IN QUEENSLAND From July 2022, Coles will source more than 90 per cent of its Queensland electricity requirements from CleanCo, after entering into a “landmark” 10-year agreement with the state-owned clean- energy generator and retailer. According to Coles, it will buy 400 GWh of electricity annually through the agreement. The Western Downs Green Power Hub, which it is claimed will be Australia’s largest solar farm once built, and the MacIntyre Wind Farm, said to be one of the largest wind farms to be built in the southern hemisphere, will supply three-quarters of Coles’ electricity requirements, with the remainder supported by CleanCo’s low emissions portfolio. The partnership is expected to reduce Coles’ electricity carbon dioxide emissions nationally by an estimated 20 per cent or 240,000 tonnes annually, which the company says is the annual equivalent of taking 100,000 vehicles off the road. It also secures the development of both projects, which together with CleanCo’s Karara wind farm, will create 800 local jobs in Queensland’s Western and Southern Downs. Coles says it became the first major Australian retailer to commit to buying renewable energy through a 10-year power purchase agreement with global renewable power generation company Metka EGN last year, buying more than 70 per cent of the electricity generated by three solar power plants in regional NSW. Coles Chief Sustainability, Property and Export Officer Thinus Keeve says Coles is committed to buying renewable energy across the country. “Long-term agreements like this are a great example of how we’re able to reduce our energy costs, support the community and make a meaningful impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” he said. “The CleanCo and Metka EGN agreements are great examples of how we can grow renewable energy generation capacity in Australia, because they give the developers the certainty they need to invest, and we look forward to growing our partnerships with renewable energy providers in the future.” OCT, 2020 RETAIL WORLD 9