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Clean Air-Cool Planet is the Northeast's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to finding and promoting solutions to global warming.
SHAW'S SUPERMARKETS RAISES THE BAR IN FIGHT AGAINST GLOBAL WARMING Major Food Retailer Working with Climate Change Organization To Develop Model Programs for Northeast Portsmouth, NH (March 20, 2001) - Shaw's Supermarkets, already a leader in environmental and energy efficiency programs, has made a new commitment to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases. Shaw's is joining forces with Clean Air-Cool Planet, a New England-based environmental non-profit group that focuses on solutions to climate change, as part of an ongoing effort to transform Shaw's into the greenest retail supermarket chain in the region, if not the nation. "We want to do our part to preserve and protect the environment, and we want to continue to take a leadership role in our industry," said Bernard Rogan, Shaw's spokesman. "We know that our customers care about these issues, and so do we." Shaw's is the first business in the region to partner with Clean Air-Cool Planet (CA-CP). The two will work to develop and implement a corporate-wide target to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. CO2 is the leading cause of global warming. "We have been very impressed by Shaw's commitment to leadership on environmental issues, including climate change" said Adam Markham, Executive Director of Clean Air - Cool Planet. "Shaw's has implemented perhaps the most advanced energy management systems used by any supermarket in the country. We believe that together we can take their pioneering efforts on climate and energy solutions to an even higher level. Shaw's understands that these initiatives not only help the environment, but also improve the bottom line. We hope that other New England businesses will accept the challenge and follow their lead". CA-CP plans to convene an alliance of architects, engineers and energy experts to help the company evaluate state-of-the art technologies and practices designed to cut carbon pollution. The partnership will evaluate strategies that include vehicle fleet emissions, the benefits of natural light in stores and the use of renewable sources of energy like solar and geothermal power. The partnership also will focus on raising awareness about climate change and on helping Shaw's customers learn how to reduce their own impact on global climate. The climate change partnership between Shaw's and CA-CP is the latest addition to a comprehensive environmental program that Shaw's is developing. The company-wide program includes initiatives in the areas of waste reduction and packaging, recycling, energy efficiency, refrigeration/ozone depletion, building design, and the promotion of sustainably harvested wood products. Shaw's was honored last week by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an Energy Star Partner of the Year. In recent years, the company has made remarkable progress in installing high-efficiency lighting, upgrading refrigeration systems and reducing energy usage. As a result it has reduced CO2 emissions by 112,500 tons since 1993, the equivalent of removing more than 15,000 typical passenger cars from the roads for a year. In addition to cutting air pollution, these measures have saved Shaw's more than $6 million. A detailed case study highlighting Shaw's energy management accomplishments to date has been prepared by CA-CP and is available here (PDF 175KB). Shaw's Supermarkets, Inc., with annual sales totaling nearly $4 billion, manages 183 store locations throughout New England, employing nearly 30,000 associates and serving more than four million customers each week. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of J Sainsbury plc of London, England. About Clean Air-Cool Planet Contact: Clean Air-Cool Planet |
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