Greenwash Grocers (Feedback Global)

This report contains a summary section which is reproduced below.

SUMMARY

Feedback's Supermarket Meat and Climate Scorecard Report 2023 finds that greenwash is rife across the UK supermarket sector, and exposes the ways in which the 10 largest supermarkets are 'greenwashing' their climate footprint.

With growing public awareness of the urgent need to halt global heating, UK supermarkets have been quick to adopt climate-friendly marketing, with new ‘green' packaging, climate targets and advertising campaigns. But so far, no UK supermarket has set targets to reduce sales of meat and dairy, despite the fact that these high-polluting products are responsible for around a third of their overall emissions.[1]

Our Scorecard showcases how supermarkets are continuing to drive the UK's overconsumption of meat and dairy, whilst using a variety of greenwashing tactics to distract, hide, and mislead their customers on their climate action. These tactics include: 'selective disclosure', [2] where companies disclose on some elements of their climate or environmental impact, such as emissions from stores and vehicles (Scope 1&2), while avoiding talking about more harmful issues such as the 95% of emissions which comes from sales (Scope 3); distraction techniques where companies shine a spotlight on specific, often ultimately less effective, environmental initiatives; unproven 'future fixes' to their emissions problem, when they could reduce emissions in the here and now.

If we're to meet critical climate targets and create a food system that feeds people without harming the planet, it is vital that supermarkets start taking responsibility as key players in the food system through real action to reduce their emissions. Feedback is calling for retailers to provide honest reporting of Scopes 1, 2 and 3 emissions, create a real action plan for how they will meet climate targets, and stop promoting meat and dairy.