Andrew Simms' book, Tescopoly

Andrew Simms

7th June, 2007

Confused when shopping? Wondering if, when you go into the nation’s favourite supermarket, you’re getting the maximum green bang for your buck? Andrew Simms’ latest book, Tescopoly, is a forensic investigation of all things Tesco – including the chain’s green and ethical credentials. Forget the hype, he says, Tesco’s most recent charm offensive, the Good Neighbour policy, launched in May 2006, isn’t good enough. Could Britain’s largest retailer do it better? Take a look at Tesco’s Plan A – then read Plan B

Promises Promises

So far, then, there’s not much to get excited about. In early 2007, following in the footsteps of smaller retailer Marks & Spencer, Tesco took its environmental plans further. New targets announced to reduce energy use and green house gas emissions, if realised, would constitute noticeable improvements for the supermarket.

But two doubts remain. Firstly, the promises cut across Tesco’s core business model – based on expanding massive, drive-to hypermarkets and, simply, selling ever more stuff. Even if, for example, the company reduced energy use per square metre of store, an overall doubling of floor space would likely drown out any efficiency gains. Secondly, without clear, independent monitoring and verification, it will be hard to know when, and if, targets are ever met.

What would a plan for Tesco’s behaviour look like if it were to match the rhetoric on responsibility? Nick Robins, Head of SRI Funds for Henderson Global Investors,...

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