UK retailer Tesco plans to implement the Seafood Carbon Emissions Profiling Tool (SCEPT) across its seafood supply chain and products.
It said it was a “significant step” in its sustainability ambitions, as Tesco aims to be net-zero across its full value chain by 2050 and believes that SCEPT, developed by Seafish, the public body that supports the UK seafood industry, can help achieve this.
The tool works by supporting businesses to generate carbon footprints for their wild capture and aquaculture seafood products. This allows them to build an understanding of emissions hotspots, or risks, in product supply chains and provides insights to drive improvements.
Webinar details SCEPT functionality
To outline what the implementation of the SCEPT means for its supply chain, Tesco hosted a webinar to describe what kind of data would be requested, how they can be inputted and used.
During the webinar, Dr Stuart McLanaghan, Seafish head of responsible sourcing, who led the SCEPT’s development, provided a walkthrough of the tool and its functionality.
He said: “We commend Tesco’s commitment to implement the SCEPT across its seafood supply chain and are delighted some of its suppliers are already seeing the benefits of this user-friendly, industry-facing resource.
“The tool’s integration across UK seafood supply chains is also crucial for generating high-quality, industry-averaged datasets for benchmarking and subsequent public disclosure purposes.”
Tesco has a track record of driving sustainability with its 100 largest suppliers already achieving a 20% reduction in manufacturing emissions.
“We know the importance of ensuring we have accurate primary data to make informed choices on how we do this and the rollout of Seafish’s carbon tool across our seafood supply chain is an important step on this pathway.”
Natalie Smith, head of sustainable agriculture and fisheries at Tesco, said: “We recognise the responsibility we have to support our seafood suppliers in reducing their carbon footprint, in line with our collective net-zero commitments.
“We know the importance of ensuring we have accurate primary data to make informed choices on how we do this and the rollout of Seafish’s carbon tool across our seafood supply chain is an important step on this pathway.”
With emissions from products and supply chains accounting for over 90% of Tesco’s total carbon footprint, this commitment to the SCEPT is a significant step.
Scott Johnston, technical director at Sofina Foods Europe and an early adopter of the tool, added: “Together with other Seafood Grimsby and Humber Alliance members, we are delighted to have helped develop the SCEPT to ensure it is able to meet our business needs.
“Sofina has been active in using the tool to inform its seafood supply chain operations which is providing valuable insights on key focus areas for decarbonisation.
“We are excited to be working with the major UK retailers including Tesco and our seafood supply chain to use the tool to support accurate carbon baselining and transformational steps towards shared climate goals.”
