Retail giants Kmart, Target, Bunnings, and Officeworks have signed two new renewable electricity deals with CleanCo, which Greenpeace Australia Pacific says takes Queenslanders one step closer to solar and wind powered shopping.
The four retailers, part of the Wesfarmers conglomerate, announced a long-term deal with Queensland government-owned renewables company CleanCo to power 147 sites across Queensland. This power purchase agreement will see the stores powered with energy from the MacIntyre Wind Farm and solar from Western Downs Green Power Hub.
REenergise campaign director Lindsay Soutar, from Greenpeace Australia Pacific, welcomed the announcement. “Queenslanders will soon be buying their homewares, power tools and office supplies from shops powered by the wind and sun, with iconic brands Kmart, Bunnings, Target and Officeworks joining forces on a huge power purchase agreement.”
She added: “Kmart, Bunnings, Target and Officeworks combined are Australia’s 33rd largest electricity user, using vast amounts of power every day. Making the switch to clean power in Queensland will make a big dent in Australia’s emissions and bring online enough clean, reliable renewable energy to power 23,000 homes, and create good, future-facing Queensland jobs.”
Soutar said it is a big win for the community as Greenpeace supporters have been pressuring Australia’s big retailers to shift to cleaner power, alongside a strong green push from shoppers.
“With Australian communities struggling with climate disasters, like the recent floods in Queensland and northern NSW, there’s increasing pressure on big companies to speed up the energy transition. Ending reliance on fossil fuels like coal and switching to renewable energy is critical for tackling climate change, and these companies are showing how it can be done.”
Once Kmart, Target, Officeworks and Bunnings have met their national commitment to 100% renewable electricity, they will be using enough renewable electricity to power over 110,000 homes.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific is now calling on the retailers to cut deals to meet their 100% renewable electricity commitments in other states by 2025, with the expectation that the companies will tackle their value-chain and transport emissions in the near future.