Climeworks’ direct air capture & storage plant Orca permanently removes CO2 from the air | Credit:Climeworks
Online supermarket has reached a deal with carbon capture specialist Climeworks to help tackle its residual emissions
Ocado Retail has paid for 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide to be removed from the atmosphere in support of its net zero plans, in a deal with direct air capture (DAC) specialist Climeworks that is thought to be a first for the retail sector.
The company today announced it has secured a deal with Switzerland-based Climeworks to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere equivalent to the emissions Ocado Retail's head office will generate over the next seven years.
According to Ocado Retail, the deal will make the company the first supermarket to have a net zero office following the agreement.
"We are immensely proud to be the first supermarket in the world to have a net zero office," said Daniel Costigan, sustainability lead at Ocado Retail. "Running a sustainable business is incredibly important to us and our customers and our agreement with Climeworks is a fantastic step as we continue to take strides to reduce our carbon footprint."
The permanent removal of CO2 from the air has been touted as a potential solution for eliminating emissions companies are otherwise unable to cut. Climeworks' technology directly captures CO2 from the air and stores it permanently underground. The company opened its largest facility "Orca" in Iceland in September, which is powered solely by renewable energy.
Ocado Retail is the first supermarket to reach a carbon removal agreement with Climeworks. The deal will be financed in part by unclaimed refunds from Ocado's recycling scheme, the retailer said. Customers are offered refunds when they return Ocado bags for recycling, but unclaimed refunds are put towards good causes, such as carbon capture.
Commenting on today's announcement, Christoph Gebald, co-CEO and co-founder of Climeworks, said: "We are excited and thankful to welcome a new industry leader through the agreement with Ocado. Ocado Retail's net zero strategy is a great example of how emissions reduction and emissions removal should be combined."
Ocado Retail is working in line with the British Retail Consortium's Climate Action Roadmap to reduce its emissions in addition to investing in carbon capture. The company has committed to reaching net zero by 2040.
Advocates of DAC technology maintain it can play a crucial role in helping to deliver on net zero targets, but critics have warned the fledgling technology remains hugely expensive and question whether it can be scaled up to a level where it can make a significant dent in global emissions. Some critics also fear the emergence of DAC technologies could undermine efforts to curb emissions at source by providing polluters with cover for continued investment in new carbon intensive infrastructure.
