Tesco claimed the wine trade "needed a fundamental change in thinking" as it announced major plans to reduce its carbon emissions. Andy Gale, Tesco category technical manager, told delegates at the Harpers debate that it will reduce its impact onto he environment by reducing energy costs and improving the packaging on all its 70,000 UK products by 2010. It plans to half its emissions impact globally by 2020, Gale said. Tesco plans to reduce own-label packaging by 25% by 2010, and also wants to produce more lightweight products. Up to 44% of Tesco's packaging volume is glass, although glass producers only represent 6% of products in store. Tesco is to invest £100m to research low-carbon technology with Oxford University. It is thought the money is also being used to experiment with PET-type wine bottles.
