歐洲零售業者履行承諾，推廣環境永續消費模式，使得歐洲的消費者可在貨架上找到愈來愈多的綠色商品。22日發表的一份監測成果顯示，歐盟零售商論壇(European Retail Forum)的成員已達成多項2009年制定的自願性目標。
歐盟零售商論壇於2009年3月成立，為歐盟執行委員會、零售業界與業者的一項合作計劃，關注於增進能源效益，以及促使較環保的商品銷售增加。
零售商同時設立目標，要減少包裝與廢棄物、節約用水、低碳運輸最佳化，並且藉由改善照明與冷凍技術，減少貨物庫存的能源消耗。業者提出285項環境承諾，分為三個類別：販賣什麼、怎麼販賣、與物流運輸。他們並建置了一套資料庫，對進度進行管理。
「這份報告顯示出，零售商愈來愈嚴肅看待他們對於環境的責任。」歐盟環境執委波托奇尼克(Janez Potocnik) 於22日說道：「零售商有特殊的地位，它會影響消費者的選擇，而我樂於見到更多的綠色商品出現在貨架上。」
除了把更多的永續商品擺到超級市場貨架上，零售商也在減少環境足跡上有所進展，特別是把重心放在資源效益的措施上。
波托奇尼克讚揚零售商的努力，使得資源運用更有效益且減少了環境影響，但是他表示還有許多工作要做。除了需要加強與消費者在永續議題上的溝通，報告也建議設置一個獎勵計劃來獎勵最佳的實務作法。
對2009年首波實施的承諾目標所作的監測成果中，該報告發現，已經有許多良好的實務經驗。在歐盟成員國的多次店面訪查，已可看到零售商提供更多具有環境標章的商品與有機商品。
相較於2006年，連鎖超市業者家樂福已增加83%自有品牌的有機商品。該公司在網站上的聲明表示：「作為世界第二大零售商，家樂福集團致力於在地化，並推動永續消費。集團因此發展自有品牌與旗艦品牌商品，結合環境標準，並做到讓不同預算的消費者都夠負擔。」
調查員也發現，西班牙最大的超商業者「Mercadona」達到店內與配送中心100%的包裝廢棄物回收率。
根據報告，零售業者達到2009年設下的多項目標。包括
●停止販售75瓦與75瓦以上的白熾燈泡
●達到100%比率的自有品牌永續/再生性家用與衛生用紙商品
●增加回收塑膠再製的聚酯纖維產品數量
此監測成果報告可在此下載閱讀。
Shoppers in Europe are finding more green products on the shelves as European retailers take action on their promises to promote environmentally sustainable consumption patterns. A monitoring report out today shows members of the European Retail Forum are hitting many of the voluntary targets they set last year.
Since the Retail Forum was launched in March 2009 as a joint initiative of the European Commission and the retail sector, retailers have focused on improving energy efficiency and increasing sales of greener products.
Retailers also set goals for reducing packaging and waste, conserving water, optimizing low carbon emission transport, and reducing energy consumption of stores by improved lighting and freezing.
Retailers made 285 environmental commitments in three categories - What we sell, How we sell, and Communication - and established a database to organize them.
"This report shows that retailers are increasingly serious about their responsibilities towards the environment," Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik said today.
"Retailers are in a unique position to influence customers' choices and I am pleased to see there are more green products on the shelves."
As well as putting more sustainable products on supermarket shelves, retailers have also made progress in reducing their environmental footprint, paying particular attention to resource efficiency measures.
Potocnik praised retailers for their efforts to become more resource efficient and reduce their environmental impact, but he said much more remains to be done.
Communicating with consumers on sustainability issues also needs improvement, and the report recommends setting up an award scheme to reward best practices.
Monitoring of the first series of commitments for 2009 has revealed many examples of good practice, the report finds. Visits made to stores in member states across the EU showed that retailers are offering more ecolabeled and organic products.
The supermarket chain Carrefour has increased the number of its own brand organic products by 83 percent compared to 2006. "As the world's second largest retailer, the Carrefour Group is committed to democratize and promote sustainable consumption. The Group is thus developing own brand and banner brand products affordable to every budget and which integrate environmental criteria," the company says in a statement on its website.
Mercadona, the largest supermarket operator in Spain, has achieved a 100 percent recovery rate for packaging waste in stores and distribution centers, investigators found.
The retailers achieved several of their targets for 2009, the report shows.
‧They stopped selling incandescent light bulbs equal to and above 75 watts.
‧They achieved a 100 percent share of private brand sustainable/recycled household and sanitary paper products.
‧They increased the amount of polyester fleeces made from recycled plastic.
全文及圖片詳見：ENS報導
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