It might be challenging but Queensgate Shopping Centre in Peterborough (UK) successfully engaged with more than 90 retailers to tackle its environmental footprint. The shopping centre analysed each store’s sustainability components and identified areas to be improved. An innovative assessment scheme, the Growing Greener pledge, was developed to significantly reduce the centre’s energy use. This initiative was welcomed by retailers, who were also motivated through awards recognising achievement within this assessment scheme.

Queensgate has achieved an energy saving of 4,253,000kWh, which is equivalent to £477,000, and managed to send no waste to landfill. With an 80% participate rate by its retailers, this shopping centre can serve as a best-practice example for other stores in the UK and encourage them to improve their energy efficiency. Other shopping centres in the UK also engaged with their retailers for the same purpose. Trinity Leeds launched a recycling campaign incentivising its retailers to reduce waste to landfill and Bluewater (Kent) aims at cutting its annual energy use by 50%. This is one step forward towards a lower environmental impact in the retail sector.