My View: Government must help retail sector to act on green issue

Here are just a few of them. Retail has a small carbon footprint. But we're aiming to cut our emissions from buildings and transport fleets by 15% by 2013, compared with 2005 levels.

Retailing is not a major water-user either. But by 2012, we aim to meter locations which account for about three quarters of what we do use, so we can objectively assess what can be done to reduce it.

We aim to improve the energy efficiency of our vehicles, distribution systems and stores, and to reduce, recover, recycle and manage our unavoidable waste sustainably, and make appropriate use of rainwater.

But retailing also has a unique relationship with our customers, who control over 60% of direct emissions of greenhouse gases - and even more indirectly through what they buy. That's why we've also set some big goals for leading changes in customer behaviour.

But only a thriving retail sector can deliver on all this. That's why we need Government to reduce the burdens on retail, not add to them, to allow us to make a full contribution to the green agenda.

Stephen Robertson is director general of the British Retail Consortium