Two popular Irish grocery stores, SuperValu and Centra, have once again joined the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) in their ‘Building Sustainable Communities’ initiative.
How will the grocery stores get involved in the initiative?
This initiative is dedicated to driving environmental change within both communities and the retail sector across the Emerald Isle. The initiative is in its 11th consecutive year.
In honour of its 11th year in action, Centra and SuperValu stores will be upgrading parts of their operations to ensure a high standard of energy efficiency and sustainability.
A total of 23 stores took part in the initiative in 2023. The combined energy savings of all these stories equates to a whopping 6.3 million kilowatts per hour (KWH). This is enough energy to power 861 Irish homes.
Why Musgrave Group has collaborated with the SEAI
The SEAI initiative complements Musgrave Group’s, the owner of both stores, overall environmental strategy as well as its commitment to achieving net zero carbon by 2040 and its closer goal to achieve a 12 percent carbon reduction target by 2030.
SEAI’s mission is to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable energy but also to celebrate the work achieved by collaborating with stores like Centra and SuperValu throughout the years.
The SEAI firmly believes in the power of collaboration to effect change and is committed to achieving a more sustainable society. They work with businesses, organisations, and individuals across the country by offering grant support for much-needed energy upgrades.
The initiative aligns closely with their values and they believe it shows the true power when communities and businesses join forces. SEAI have said they are very grateful to Centra and SuperValu for collaborating with them once again and for their dedication over the years since the initiative was first launched.
Musgrave Group’s sustainability efforts
Musgrave Group recently announced its extensive network of independent retailers will help them to achieve over three-quarters of its 12 percent carbon reduction target. The ability to make significant progress on this goal comes following the first of its kind 25 million sustainability fund that the company launched last year. The fund aims to encourage and inspire retailers to achieve net zero carbon by 2040, with the hope of reducing the carbon footprint within the Musgrave retail network by 10,000 tonnes. Those stores participating in the SEAI initiative have already undergone extensive work. These included installing solar panels and upgrading freezers and refrigerations. The initiative will see individual stores choose community organisations in the area to support. They will support these organisations in improving the energy efficiency of their facilities and buildings.
This will drive the mission of sustainable energy reduction throughout communities. SuperValu and Centra will demonstrate their dedication to continuing to develop a sustainable Irish retail sector by reducing store energy costs, achieving zero carbon emissions, and minimising fossil fuel usage. However, that’s not all – Centra and SuperValu will also commit to local communities across the country by making sustainability improvements to affordable homes and local community organisations.
Final thoughts
It is inspiring to see Ireland’s largest grocery and food distributors, Centra and SuperValu addressing the climate crisis by joining forces with the SEAI. If you feel encouraged to lead a more responsible brand after reading this article, enrol in our Diploma in Business Sustainability course, one of the best credit-rated and globally-recognised sustainability courses in Ireland, for comprehensive and practical sustainability education.
