Retailers push carbon cutting
Leading retailers B&Q and Marks & Spencer have both launched environmental initiatives designed to help limit household carbon emissions.

B&Q aims to enable consumers to cut their carbon dioxide production by one tonne per household by offering cost-effective and easy to install insulation products.

M&S is relabelling clothing to encourage people to wash it at 30 degrees, saving about 40 per cent energy per wash - enough, if adopted by everybody, to light every street lamp in the UK for 10 months.

Both schemes were drawn up as part of the retailers' involvement with The Climate Group's 'We're in this together campaign'. The Climate Group is an alliance of business, government and non-governmental organisations dedicated to helping cut household carbon emissions.

B&Q chief executive Ian Cheshire said: 'If every house in the UK had the recommended level of insulation, we could save 4 million tonnes of CO2 a year. We're delighted to enable customers to make a real difference to the environment whilst saving themselves up to£220 a year.'

M&S chief executive Stuart Rose said: 'Customers are concerned about climate change and want to minimise their impact on the environment. That's why we're encouraging customers to wash their clothing at 30 degrees. It is a small change, but it can make a very big difference.'