The UK’s largest independent retail society, OurCoop, shared its experience of cutting carbon emissions during this year’s Co-op Fortnight, hosting a best practice session focused on improving energy efficiency in retail.
Hosted in partnership with energy management specialist LoweConex, the event brought together representatives from several UK co-operatives to discuss ways of cutting energy use and emissions through smarter management of heating, cooling, and refrigeration systems.
The two organisations have worked together since 2024, developing automation and remote monitoring technology to improve the efficiency of systems across over 200 food stores. OurCoop stated this approach has helped it reduce both energy consumption and operating costs and linked the workshop to the theme of this year’s Co-op Fortnight, Co-operate and we can change the world.
Mike Pickering, head of sustainability at OurCoop, said: “We know that the power of co-operation can help us all to achieve more. By working together and sharing best practice during Co-op Fortnight, we can have an even bigger impact on carbon emissions, reducing energy use and cutting energy costs at the same time. It was great to meet with our colleagues from other societies as we work together towards our shared sustainability goals.”
As well as highlighting work on energy efficiency in its own operations, OurCoop also shared several wider environmental initiatives. It said that its Broadband, Mobile, and Travel businesses “help customers offset carbon emissions associated with their products” through tree-planting scheme Ecologi as well as carbon reduction projects “which support the development of new renewables, introduce low-carbon practices and improve sustainability all over the world”. The society claims these initiatives have helped prevent more than 6000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions and planted nearly 300,000 trees worldwide.
Launched earlier this year, OurCoop was formed after the merger of a number of UK consumer societies – bringing together more than 500 food stores alongside travel, funeralcare, early years, mobile, energy, and broadband businesses. As a result, it now has more than one million members and over 13,000 colleagues across the UK, all under the global COOP branding marque.
