Do come in, doors are shut to save energy, says Pret

PRET A Manger is keeping its doors closed in an effort to preserve energy, as British retailers pledge to go net-zero by 2040.

Branches of the popular high street sandwich shop will keep their doors shut even when they are open for business, a move that has led to a five per cent cut in energy use in 2019 compared to 2018. The policy, which began in January last year, is part of a wider announcement by British businesses on plans to reach net-zero by 2040.

“Coming into our shops, you might find that our doors are shut a bit more often, please do come in – we’re trying to save energy,” the company said in a document released by the British Retail Consortium to highlight climatefriendly moves made by its members.

More than 60 retailers including M&S, John Lewis, Boots and Costa Coffee joined the pledge, promising to make their logistics, headquarters and branches more eco-friendly.

Peter Andrews, head of sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said he hoped other businesses would follow Pret’s lead. “What they’ve done has been really good and they’re not alone, but they are certainly a leading proponent. More and more people, once we see the best practices and the results these sorts of things bring, more people will be encouraged to adopt that approach,” he said.

Other measures highlighted by the group included Dixons Carphone’s pledge to introduce electric vehicles into its commercial fleet and Costa Coffee’ s timber-framed“E co pod” branches, which have solar panels and “super-insulation”.

The group called for government support in the form of investment and charging infrastructure, allowing companies to invest in converting lorries and vans to electric or hydrogen-powered. In June another group of large UK businesses, including Deloitte, Unilever and easyjet also made a net zero pledge.

Net-zero pledges have been applauded as an ambitious move but critics have also cautioned that they can include significant reliance on carbon offsets such as tree-planting which are difficult to measure.

Gareth Redmond-king, head of climate change at the WWF, said: “The BRC and its members are leading the way with this bold commitment.”