In an effort to slash CO2 output, Whole Foods, Bed Bath & Beyond announce they will no longer buy products sourced using Canadian oil sands.

Sure there is little to no progress from the COP15 summit in Copenhagen; the US Congress is gridlocked in beltway madness with regards to climate legislation; and the media can’t seem to understand that climate science is not a sound bite.

However, I remain hopeful because of voluntary actions by companies that recognize that we need to move to a low carbon economy — and they have the power to make it happen. Why the hope? Many companies are voluntarily moving ahead with carbon cutting programs on their own.

Tucked away in the Financial Times last week, Sheila McNulty reported that Whole Foods Market and Bed Bath & Beyond have decided not to source fuel from Canada’s oil sands (formerly tar sands).

Oil sands have a much higher carbon content than crude oil and many of the development processes have oil sands’ negative impact on human health, water and wildlife.

Michael Besancon, Whole Foods’ senior global vice-president of purchasing, distribution and marketing, said: “We’re looking at our carbon footprint, and tar sands fuels are higher carbon,” Mr Besancon said. “We’re trying to be a leader – out in front on this issue."

These latest actions are being encouraged by ForestEthics an NGO that is pushing to move US businesses away from the high carbon footprint oil sands. ForestEthics is negotiating with 30 companies to follow the lead by Whole Foods and Bed Bath & Beyond.

Whole Foods looked at their supply chain carbon footprint and replaced Marathon Oil with CountryMark which sources from US oil sources. A simple and relatively small action but with significant implications for energy companies that source from oil sands. If industries decide to move to a low carbon source for energy to better manage risk (high carbon sources will at some point be regulated) and demonstrate leadership in sustainability, then it will have an impact on the energy sector.

Building a low carbon economy: the power of voluntary actions

Although the impact may be smaller, the move is like the Walmart sustainability initiative in that the greatest impact a company can have on their environmental footprint is typically within their supply chain.

Walmart is now positively influencing tens of thousands of their suppliers to pay attention to their resource use (energy, carbon, water and materials). Walmart, Whole Foods and Bed Bath & Beyond are not alone in quantifying their entire environmental footprint and looking a ways to reduce the supply chain portion of their footprint.

Based upon my experience with our clients influencing your supply chain is is where the real power resides in embedding sustainability thinking into a cross section of industry sectors. The approach: tell your suppliers that you are committed to a sustainability strategy and they are part of the solution. If they are not interested companies now have the option of sourcing from those companies that can provide “low footprint” products.

Reprinted with permission from Earth & Industry