Consumer business The Co-Operative Group has announced that it will make a questionnaire available to its 3 million members and 85 000 employees on which environmental issues the organisation should support.

The move makes the Co-Op the first UK organisation to involve consumers in its future spend on environmental issues. Last year the firm invested 拢10 million in community activities. The questionnaire will ask consumers to decide whether it should support projects such as renewable energy, encouraging energy efficiency or waste reduction and recycling.

The Co-Op has already taken several initiatives to help reduce CO2 emissions and energy consumption. The organisation claims that 98% of its electricity has been obtained from renewable sources since 2005. In addition the group has committed to reducing its electricity and gas consumption by 25% by 2012. The group is also a joint venture partner in the Coldham Wind farm in Cambridgeshire, which had been built on farmland owned and farmed by the Group.

Peter Marks, chief executive of the co-operative group said:"In another UK first, we will be consulting our members and employees to help determine what community initiatives and campaigns we should focus on in the future鈥�.

Source

黑洞社区 Sustainable Design