South Africa retail sector must improve commitment to renewable energy

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In order to realize the full benefits of renewable energy in Africa, companies in South Africa should commit to renewable energy targets, said a campaign from Greenpeace Africa.

In Retail sector, Woolworths has maintained the lead and improved score to six out of ten. Massmart is close behind Woolworths with a score of five and a half, a significant improvement from their April score. Pick n Pay has also shown a significant improvement. Spar and Shoprite are at the bottom of the table with Shoprite scoring the lowest of all five retailers.

During 2016 both Woolworths and Massmart undertook solar PV installations; with Woolworths installing the first phase of their 2MW system at their Midrand distribution center, and Massmart installing a 520kW and a 430kW system at their Carnival Mall and Woodmead Makro stores respectively. This combined solar PV capacity is sufficient to power 500 – 700 average South African households.

At the bottom end of the updated ranking table both Spar and Shoprite are dragging behind their fellow retailers. Spar’s score has stayed the same as they have not made any progress in the renewable energy sector in 2016. Shoprite continues to have the lowest score of three out of ten due to a lack of publicly available information, lack of transparency and unwillingness to engage with Greenpeace on these issues

During the course of 2016, Eskom has begun what appears to be a sustained anti renewable energy campaign, which means there is an increased need for other sectors, including the retail sector, to champion and lobby for a renewable energy future in South Africa.

Renewable energy offers a concrete alternative to the current electricity system that is failing all South Africans, Greenpeace said.

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