Asda Case Study

ASDA case studies

The role of the finance team in climate change projects

ASDA case studies

Asda is Britain’s second largest supermarket with 368 stores. It has successfully embedded sustainability in its strategy and has implemented many initiatives to save energy, reduce packaging and remove unnecessary waste from its stores. Asda’s finance team plays an intrinsic role in the decision making process including planning, testing and roll out of all of their sustainability programmes. These include: zero waste to landfill; reducing harmful emissions from stores; depots and transport; responsible store development (e.g. Asda’s low carbon flagship store in Bootle, Liverpool); minimising packaging on own-label products; continually improving waste management practices at store level; encouraging customer and associate recycling through ‘bring back’ facilities and ‘green’ transport. Below are examples of the finance team’s specific contribution to some recent projects at ASDA, which we later describe in detail.

Projects

Bio/bakery recycling projects ASDA project management process Evaluation of the potential impact of carbon reduction commitment regulations on Asda New initiative store testing

Finance team’s contribution

Cost benefit analysis Stewardship, progress, responsibility and performance reporting Financial evaluation, interpretation and presentation to senior executive team Investment appraisal

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ASDA case studies

Asda case study one

Recycling, general waste and bio bakery

An Asda mantra, religiously repeated across all of its stores and head office, is ‘We hate waste of any kind’. With 369 stores stocking over 40,000 products, it is inevitable that waste is generated. But Asda has a number of action plans to ensure that this material is disposed of in a sustainable way. For example, the supermarket is running a trial with a charity called FareShare where unsold food nearing its sell by date is distributed to those in need. But...