• Targets
• Results

  • GHG emissions
  • Supply chain
  • Waste diversion
  • 2011 Scorecard
• Managing sustainability at Sobeys
• Making sustainability visible and actionable
• Corporate governance
• Risk management
• GRI reporting
• Glossary

Results

Results

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions

Direct Operations Progress Update: Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions, fiscal 2011 vs. 2008 baseline

8.5% Reduction in Retail Stores' GHG Emissions

In our retail stores, we reduced our CO2e per square foot by 8.5% nationally in fiscal 2011 versus 2008. We remain on target to achieve our five-year target of 15% reduction by December 31, 2013.

Retail Energy Conservation: Over 500 Projects, 3.0% Reduction

Over the past two years, we have implemented more than 500 energy conservation/efficiency projects across the organization. We conservatively estimate that these projects combined will enable us to reduce our electricity consumption by nearly 43 million kWh/year (equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 3,600 average Canadian homes). These efforts have helped us reduce our electricity consumption per square foot of retail space by 3.0% in fiscal 2011, compared to 2008.

Reducing CO2e Emissions due to Refrigerant Loss: 28.7% Reduction

Refrigeration systems are vital components of any grocery store. They are used to maintain proper temperatures of product which is important for food safety and waste reduction and a comfortable environment for our customers and employees. However, many of the refrigerants commonly used in grocery stores—hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) type refrigerants—have a high global warming potential (GWP*) which means that when a small volume of refrigerant leaks, it generates a relatively high amount of CO2e emissions.

Understanding the impact refrigerant losses have on CO2e emissions, all of our regional retail operations have implemented measures to reduce refrigerant leaks, replace refrigerants that have a high GWP with ones that have a lower GWP and/or use industry-leading technology to eliminate the use of HFCs altogether.

These efforts have helped us to reduce our contribution to climate change (kgs of CO2e per square foot of retail space) from refrigerant leak emissions by 28.7% in fiscal 2011 compared to 2008.

* Global warming potential (GWP) of a refrigerant is its global warming impact relative to the impact of the same quantity of carbon dioxide over a 100-year period.

Key Regional Business Unit Progress

Since 2008, Sobeys Ontario corporate stores have reduced their carbon footprint by 16.7%, due to a 40% reduction in their stores' refrigerant leak emission intensity. Other regions have also made significant improvements in the reduction of their carbon footprint. Specifically:

• Sobeys Québec (15.8% reduction), primarily the result of a 17% reduction in refrigerant leak emission intensity.
• Sobeys Atlantic (10.7% reduction), primarily resulting from an 11% reduction in electricity consumption intensity.

17.8% Reduction in Distribution Centres' GHG Emissions

Sobeys' distribution centres which account for 11% of our baseline GHG emissions reduced their GHG emissions per 100 cases shipped by 17.8%. The major carbon sources for our distribution centres are electricity (77%), heating fuels (19%) and refrigerant leaks (4%).

Highlights of our distribution centres' GHG emission intensity reductions include:

• Reduced electricity emission intensity at Sobeys Atlantic (16.7%), Sobeys Quebec (7.9%) and Thrifty Foods (12.6%)
• Reduced heating fuels emission intensity at Sobeys Atlantic (19.3%), Sobeys West (24.6%) and Thrifty Foods (63.6%)
• Reduced refrigeration leak emission intensity by 98% or more at the Sobeys Atlantic, Sobeys Ontario and Thrifty Foods distribution centres.

Overall, corporate fleets reduced their GHG emissions per 100 kilometres travelled by 8.5% in fiscal 2011 over our 2008 baseline. Sobeys Québec, which has the largest corporate fleet in the organization, reduced their fleet's emission intensity by 8.3%. Corporate fleets accounted for 5% of our baseline GHG emissions.