Press release - October 31, 2016
Cape Town, 31 October 2016 – Today, Greenpeace activists protested outside the Shoprite headquarters in Cape Town to demand that the retailer engages on the potential of renewable energy for South Africa. The protest at the Annual General Meeting follows the release of an updated version of the report Shopping Clean: Retailers and Renewable Energy on Thursday [1], in which Shoprite had the worst score among SA’s top retailers. Activist held banners reading “Shoprite last again! Let’s meet?” as shareholders gathered to attend the retailers’ AGM.
“We want to ask the stakeholders of Shoprite today – are you going to let it pass that Shoprite comes stone cold last again on their commitment to renewable energy? Shoprite has yet to engage meaningfully with Greenpeace Africa on renewable energy issues. So our message is clear – now is time to engage on renewable energy,” stated Penny-Jane Cooke, Climate and Energy Campaigner for Greenpeace Africa.
Shoprite is the largest food retailer in South Africa and is the retailer of choice for millions of South Africans.
“Shoprite has an obligation to their staff, shareholders and customers to publicly share information, to be transparent and to engage on issues that are beneficial to the country. Renewable energy is a viable and mature technology that is increasingly being used in the retail sector, we therefore feel it is a massive missed opportunity for Shoprite not to engage with Greenpeace on these issues,” added Cooke.
Renewable energy provides a real opportunity for South Africa to move away from a development path based on polluting fossil fuels and expensive nuclear power, and retailers can take the lead to kick-start a future powered by renewable energy, for the benefit of all South Africans.
Notes to the Editor:
[1] The Greenpeace Africa report “Shopping Clean: Retailers and Renewable Energy –An Update November 2016,”is available online.
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