Carbon Emissions: Retail Trade

Colin Burgon
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will discuss with representatives of the retail sector the effect on energy use of the practice of high street stores leaving their doors open to attract customers.

Mr. Woolas
The Carbon Trust, which receives funding from DEFRA, runs the UK’s main energy efficiency advice programme for business and the public sector, providing tailored advice to retailers about reducing their energy use including the implications of keeping shop doors open during cold weather. The Carbon Trust’s publication aimed at retailers: “Retail—Energy management—the new profit centre for retail businesses” (CTV001) contains a wide range of advice to help retailers cut their energy costs and includes a section entitled “Open door policy?” This addresses the issue of heat loss caused by open doors, recommending that retailers keep external doors open only at busy times or install automatic or revolving doors or a draught lobby.

The Carbon Trust is also working with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) to support its new Climate Change initiative ‘A Better Retailing Climate’ which details the BRC’s commitment to lowering emissions across the retail sector through a suite of initiatives, including reducing emissions from buildings by 15 per cent. by 2013.