Thursday 8 October 2020

John Lewis Partnership teams with ENGIE to drive environmental targets further

The three-year contract awarded to ENGIE, covering both John Lewis and Waitrose, includes a 70 GWh/annum Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA) alongside the delivery of competitive energy supply.

There will also be an Energy Works funding allowance to support energy efficiency initiatives. As part of this, ENGIE will deliver ISO 50001 accreditation – the international standard for energy management systems – for John Lewis Partnership, in a further commitment to support the retailer’s sustainable energy strategy.

John Lewis Partnership has pledged to be net-zero carbon for its entire operations by 2050 at the latest, without purchasing carbon offsets. This will include reducing energy from the physical estate by 25% by 2028, with the assistance of ENGIE, and 100% renewable, UK-sourced electricity across all sites.

The energy supply contract and CPPA will play a key role in the supply of electricity from renewable sources. The CPPA means that the Partnership will be using power from solar generators, providing the company with a fixed price for a proportion of its energy from known certified renewable sources.

Work on certification to ISO 50001 will begin on one site in Bracknell initially, identifying opportunities for carbon and cost reduction and a tailored action plan will be produced. The aim is to complete certification for this site by the end of 2020, and then expand the scope to the rest of the portfolio.

Hugh Conway, Senior Manager Commercial & Supply Chain of the John Lewis Partnership observed: “The Partnership has had a strong commitment to minimising environmental impact for many years and we continue to challenge ourselves with ever-more rigorous targets. ENGIE’s proven expertise in reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions, along with the company’s ability to supply green energy, will prove invaluable in delivering our net-zero carbon aspirations.”

ENGIE’s Kevin Dibble, Divisional CEO for Energy Supply, added: “It’s great to be teaming up with a like-minded business that places a high priority on sustainability and protecting the environment. There is huge potential here to not just achieve great things for the Partnership but also to lead the way and demonstrate best practice to other major organisations.”