• The host city of COP26 will be the first Scottish city to use zero emission vans to deliver Tesco home shopping.
• Over 3,700 deliveries per week will now be made by electric vans powered by clean green energy.
• All part of the transition to electrify Tesco’s entire home delivery fleet by 2028, build momentum from COP26 and reach net zero emissions across its Group-wide operations by 2035.
• A new Tesco rail service will see fresh produce delivered from Spain direct to Scotland.

From this week, thousands of households across Glasgow will have their shopping delivered by one of 17 new all-electric Tesco delivery vehicles, contributing to a tangible legacy for Glasgow as the host city for COP26. This is part of Tesco’s efforts to become net zero in its own operations by 2035 and will see Glasgow become the first city in Scotland to transition to Tesco electric delivery vehicles.

As COP26 draws to a close, over 3,700 deliveries per week covering nearly 8,000 miles in and around Glasgow will be made without any emissions along the way. By 2028, 100% of all Tesco’s 5,500 home delivery vans across the UK will be fully electric.

Over the past 18 months, Tesco has significantly grown its home delivery service across Scotland and now delivers to almost 80,000 homes every week. During that time the supermarket has invested in more vans and drivers to ensure that the business can support customers, including the most vulnerable shielding at home.

In addition to the electric delivery vans, and as part of Tesco’s contribution to a strong and lasting COP26 legacy for Glasgow, Tesco will support customers transitioning to electric vehicles by providing EV charging points, as part of its roll-out of the UK’s largest retail network of electric vehicle charging points. By the end of 2022 customers will be able to charge their vehicles at one of 2,400 charging points across 600 stores, including 72 in Scotland. In addition, the business is helping create new renewable energy infrastructure by investing in five new wind farms in Scotland and four new solar farms across the UK.

Tesco is also committing more heavily to rail freight, a method of transport it has used since 2008, to tackle high emissions caused by food distribution. Five trains per week currently carry fresh produce for Tesco customers from Spain to England, and by the end of this year a new rail service will run direct from Spain to Scotland as the business expands its use of rail freight from 65,000 containers to around 90,000.

Jason Tarry, Tesco UK and ROI CEO said:

“In this critical decade for climate action, businesses must play a key role in driving transformational change. As part of our efforts to secure a COP26 legacy for Glasgow, I’m delighted that Glasgow will be the first Scottish city to transition to an all-electric Tesco home delivery fleet. We’re also increasing our use of rail distribution to take more emissions off our roads and helping boost UK’s renewable energy capacity by investing in renewable energy infrastructure, including nine new wind and solar farms across Scotland and throughout the UK.”

Minister for Transport Graeme Dey said:

“Government, individuals and businesses all have a role to play when it comes to taking climate action. This is a welcome step from Tesco, looking to secure a lasting legacy from COP26, and good news for customers in Glasgow, where over 3,700 deliveries a week will now be completed using zero emission vehicles – helping to protect our climate and improve air quality.

 “This is just the beginning of action taken by Tesco and it is encouraging that the company is expanding the use of rail freight for the movement of fresh produce, investing in renewable energy infrastructure and decarbonising its entire home delivery fleet by 2028.”