To sustainability, and beyond. By any means possible.
Search
RSS Feed 
Recent comments
- timkitchin: Doc, for the record I totally buy into the individual-centric relational perspective. Just extend it...
- Doc Searls: Hi Tim. For what it’s worth, I’ve seen VRM from the beginning as more of an individual than a...
- Tim: I can get down to 1.6 Ben unless I move to a ’small’ house with my wife & 3 children.Need to...
- Ben Evetts: According to this calculator we’re all completely shot. Even using the lowest variables i could get...
- Tim B.: This initiative would go a long way towards consumer education. I am a Canadian trying to do a bit more for...
Archives
- December 2011
- October 2011
- April 2011
- February 2011
- November 2010
- March 2010
- April 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- September 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- May 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
- October 2005
- September 2005
- August 2005
- July 2005
- June 2005
- April 2005
- March 2005
- February 2005
- January 2005
- December 2004
- November 2004
- October 2004
- September 2004
- August 2004
- July 2004
- January 2004
- December 2003
- November 2003
- October 2003
- September 2003
- August 2003
- July 2003
- June 2003
Blogroll
Built for accessibility: W3C | CSS
Site Design and Maintainance by Dan Hill of Serene Studios
See through Tesco
Tesco has today committed to deliver product level carbon footprint data across its entire 70,000 product-range. A...
January 19, 2007
Tesco has today committed to deliver product level carbon footprint data across its entire 70,000 product-range.
Anyone who dismisses this as CSR spin is utterly naive. The transparency implications for its supply-chain are profound. The Historic Futures team know this better than anyone. Opening up these conversation internally is a true leadership decision.
It will unearth incredible black holes in Tesco’s product integrity. More importantly it will feed a frenzied debate on the quality and meaning of data that is being provides. But all that is for later.
Whether it can actually deliver on this, and over what timescale is another question, but the point is that carbon emissions are simply the trigger which kick-starts a competitive transparency race which will ultimately transcend CO2 emissions to embrace a rich array of social and environmental impact data. This data cannot be stored on pack. RFID, epos and barcode operators.
Link this commitment to Tesco’s undoubted leadership in micro-segmentation…
Link it to Tesco’s leading-edge e-platform…
There is no reason you shouldn’t be able to calculate your own carbon footprint and optimise
your carbon-spend accordingly.
Crucially, this sort of granular information offers a way for market forces to play out and avoid the heavy arm of the state.
Contrast the ability to optimise your shopping basket eco-footprint – at your discretion and gain credit, with the blunt and socially divisive instrument of direct road pricing.
What Tesco gets from this is not just CSR gloss. It gets control of its supply-chain.
Most critically, it gets to step out of the position as the monopolistic dictator, end become an empowerer of choice.
The ‘evil Tesco’ allegations will come to be seen for what they are – a reflection of the actions of
tens of thousands of suppliers in pursuit of a systematically mistaken goal – price reduction
Introduce a new goal – carbon reduction, and some appropriate incentives, and this system will self-optimise.
Consumers get the planet they deserve – for good or ill.
No more excuses.
Comment by Tim B. — June 12, 2007 7:09 pm
This initiative would go a long way towards consumer education. I am a Canadian trying to do a bit more for the environment and human rights. Last week I had to choose between an American non-organic red pepper and an Israeli organic pepper. I have a feeling the American pepper is actually better for the environment because it cost less in fuel.
The only doubt I have is that the individual consumer does not have the time to do all of the calculations let alone monitor the producers along the supply chain. This is where government can step-in to set basic standards and do monitoring. This is the only way to create (financially) independent monitors. This could raise costs substantially so another method could be to create legislation that provides for easy class action or other law suits against corporations that misrepresent or mislead through product labels.
Keep up the good work,
Tim
Ottawa, Canada
PS I love your name.
Corpobligation – beyond CSR
Leave a comment