Page 12 Climate change

Our aim is to reduce the distance food travels between where it is produced and where it is sold – 'food miles' – by identifying the most efficient means of transport, supporting local and regional producers, and improving our route planning systems.


In 2007–08, our 795 commercial vehicles drove 17.5 million miles. Owning a commercial fleet allows us to specify the vehicles we use, the technology they use to reduce resistance and fuel consumption, and the advanced cooling systems needed for our refrigerated lorries. So that the emissions from our vehicles are the cleanest that can be achieved using available technology, we also equip our fleet with the latest Euro 5 engines whenever possible. All our vehicles currently meet the Euro 3 engine requirements of London's Low Emission Zones (LEZs), and we expect to meet the need for Euro 4 engines, which we began trialling in 2005, ahead of the 2012 deadline.


Commercial miles driven per million pounds sales:
2003–04 5,230
2004–05 4,780
2005–06 4,694
2006–07 4,533
2007–08 4,424


Commercial fuel efficiency miles per gallon:
2003–04 10.84
2004–05 10.85
2005–06 10.92
2006–07 11.00
2007–08 11.27


Further information
> www.carbontrust.co.uk
carbon footprinting and reduction

> www.direct.gov.uk/actonco2
calculate your carbon footprint

> www.igd.com/sustainability
Institute of Grocery Distribution

> www.cpi.cam.ac.uk/bep/clgcc
Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change

> www.bitc.org.uk
Business in the Community


Green machines
The Partnership's transport operation is our second largest contributor of CO2 emissions, so we have investigated many alternative, lower carbon fuels. In our latest trial, we are running five lorries on rapeseed oil, which has a cleaner production process than biodiesel and the associated carbon footprint is up to 20% lower. If this is judged to be effective and sustainable, we will consider rolling it out to more fleet vehicles. The Partnership currently only uses bio fuels in line with Government legislation, as defined in the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). This is primarily due to the difficulty in obtaining assurances from suppliers as to its source and sustainability.

In a clear signal to the commercial vehicle industry that we are keen to explore new ways of reducing the impact of road haulage on the environment, our Chairman Charlie Mayfield has challenged commercial vehicle manufacturers to develop prototype eco-vans, electric, hybrid and other low-carbon vehicles for us to trial. The challenge is being run jointly with Cenex, the UK's national Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies.


1,583,044 Avoided miles through back and forward hauling


A new centre of attention
Through transport consolidation initiatives, where a preferred haulier collects from a number of suppliers before delivering to one of our Regional Distribution Centres (RDCs), we are lowering our total mileage, ensuring greater load efficiency and providing a more viable option for suppliers dealing in small volumes.

Joining Bracknell, Bardon and Brinklow, we launched our fourth RDC at Aylesford, near Maidstone in Kent, in September 2007. The multimillion-pound site is now the hub of deliveries to 30 shops in Kent and Sussex, and has reduced our reliance on the M25. Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44