Location: Britain
Year founded: 1919
Revenue: $71 Billion
Employees: 380,000
Cut energy use and is trying to get customers to think green. Wind-powered stores, high-tech recycling, biodiesel delivery trucks - Tesco does all that. Last year the company pledged to cut the average energy use in its British buildings in half by 2010; now it says it will get there two years early. State-of-the-art trains that have lower-than-normal noise and pollution reduce the use of trucks, slashing thousands of tons of carbon dioxide emissions; in a major store initiative, Tesco will estimate the "carbon costs" of each item. To ensure that its leadership walks the talk, Tesco now determines senior-management bonuses partly on meeting energy- and waste-reduction targets. Tesco is also encouraging customers to be greener by awarding points, redeemable for merchandise, to those who bring their own reusable shopping bags. --Matthew Boyle
