THE Midcounties Co-operative has been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard, reflecting its commitment to best practice in the reduction of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

The society earned the award by working with its members and staff to promote the importance of environmental awareness, helping to achieve an overall carbon footprint reduction of 5.1 per cent across the certification period running to 2013.

At the same time the business was able to increase its recycling from 37 per cent to 75 per cent over the past three years.

The Carbon Trust Standard is only awarded to organisations that can demonstrate year-on-year reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, encouraging organisations throughout the UK and around the world to go beyond just identifying measures to enhance their operational sustainability, achieving real reductions.

The society joins an international roster of Carbon Trust Standard bearers which, together, have saved hundreds of millions in energy and operational costs, reducing more than half a billion tonnes of carbon emissions since 2008.

Mike Pickering, sustainability manager at The Midcounties Co-operative, said: “We are honoured to receive the Carbon Trust Standard certification, which is testament to our commitment to adopting new practices throughout our trading groups to significantly reduce our carbon footprint.

“As a co-operative, we are committed to best practice in social responsibility and we are working closely with the Carbon Trust to continue our significant progress in this field.”

Darran Messem, managing director of certification at the Carbon Trust, said: “The co-operative movement grew out of the impact the industrial revolution was having on workers, acting for the benefit of its members and helping to improve the quality of life for communities.

"It is, therefore, fitting that the co-operative movement today is helping to take action on the impact of the industrial revolution on the climate, through its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“The Midcounties Co-operative deserves to be congratulated for achieving independent certification to the Carbon Trust Standard, proving to its members, colleagues and the wider community that it is effectively cutting carbon, year on year.”