The Environmental Sustainability in the Retail Sector is a Level 2 qualification that aims to increase retail staff's green skills, from understanding environmental legislation to how to reduce energy consumption.

"Climate change is a mainstream issue for business and as retailers we have an important role in engaging our staff," said Laurence Singer, corporate responsibility manager at Home Retail Group.

"Many colleagues are keen to reduce their environmental impact at work and at home. However our discussions with Skillsmart Retail, the Sector Skills Council for Retail confirmed that there was no national environmental training programme which covered the needs of retailers although some of the multinationals had developed their own internal training.

"We were therefore delighted to fund the development of this accredited training programme which can be adapted to our needs whilst fulfilling a wider sectoral role."

According to a recent EDI/CBI skills survey, almost a fifth of employers believe their organisations lack the knowledge needed to reduce their carbon footprint.

Jason Rainbow