Coles announces new sustainability pledge

Coles has announced it will source the bulk of the electricity used in its Queensland operations from renewable sources.

The retailer today announced that it was entering into a 10 year partnership with state-owned energy generator CleanCo, who willsupply 90% of its energy requirements from July, 2022.

Under the deal, Coles will purchase 400GWh of electricity each year. Three quarters of Coles’ electricity will be sourced from solar farm The Western Downs Green Power Hub and the MacIntyre Wind Farm. CleanCo will support the balance through their low emissions portfolio, the retailer said.

Coles has estimated the deal will reduce its electricity carbon dioxide emissions by 20% nationally, equating to 240,000 tonnes per year.

It follows a deal last year which saw the retailer commit to a 10 year Power Purchasing Agreement with global renewable company Metka EGN.

Coles Group CEO Steven Cain said the new deal furthered its commitment to sustainable practices.

“We have already made changes throughout our business to use energy more efficiently, which has enabled us to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 36.5% since 2009, while growing our team member base and store network,” he said.

Generation is scheduled for the first quarter of 2022.

The project will generate enough energy to power about 235,000 Queensland homes.

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