Retail

Press Release: 25/01/2024 - Iceland Foods Limited (Iceland), one of the UK's best known supermarket chains with almost 1000 locations, has signed a long-term agreement with edenseven , one of the Cambridge Management Consulting group of companies, to report and monitor all classes of emissions through their online carbon reporting and management platform, cero.earth. Built by edenseven's in-house software engineers, cero.earth is a cloud-based carbon accounting and management platform that provides a complete view of a business' emissions and decarbonisation plan. Monitoring emissions across all three scopes, cero.earth gives a business a clear understanding of its current position against net zero targets, creates insights to identify areas where action is required, and uses the reporting functionality to help meet regulatory requirements. Capturing data from all of Iceland's stores, food warehouses, distribution centres, and supply chain, cero.earth will help Iceland to report their Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, monitor their existing decarbonisation programmes, and build insight to create momentum across their whole portfolio and supply chain. Pete Nisbet , Managing Partner of edenseven, said: "cero.earth has been built to give businesses like Iceland a resource which will help them make a material change to their overall emissions footprint and meet regulatory reporting requirements. With the seamless data input process, clear reporting functionality, and analytical support, cero.earth will free up Iceland's resources to focus on the deployment of programmes of work to deliver against their net zero ambitions." Graham Ireland, Head of Energy and Mechanical Services at Iceland, said: "As a proud signatory of The Climate Pledge and with a target for our own operations and supply chain to be net zero by 2040, Iceland has a clear focus on emission reduction. At Iceland, we believe that every business has a responsibility to take action against climate change and reduce its carbon footprint. Using a resource like cero.earth will allow us to easily report on all 3 Scopes of emissions, enabling Iceland to achieve our targets through clear insight and easy project tracking, as well as helping to meet regulatory reporting requirements." About edenseven edenseven is a sustainability consultancy and technology provider that uses data and market experience to enable companies and their supply chains to play their part in tackling climate change while achieving sustainable growth. edenseven uses the combined power of data, advanced analytics, and pragmatic project management to help companies baseline their current status, identify improvement opportunities in the short, medium, and long terms, and plan and implement those opportunities. For more information, visit our website: www.edenseven.co.uk About Iceland Foods Limited Iceland is one of Britain's fastest-growing and most innovative retailers, recognised as one of the best companies to work for in the UK. Iceland seeks to build a growing, profitable, and responsible business that does the right thing for their colleagues and customers, the communities they serve, the planet, and future generations. Iceland has almost 1000 locations across the UK.

We were approached by one of the fastest growing data centre providers in Europe. With over 20 data centres throughout the continent, they are consistently meeting the need for scalable, high-performance infrastructure. Despite this, a key data centre in Scandinavia had become reliant on a single, non-redundant 1 Gbps internet service from a local provider, posing significant risks to operational continuity. To enhance the reliability of its network and resolve these risks, our client needed to establish additional connectivity paths to ensure the redundancy of its infrastructure. The Ask Cambridge Management Consulting was engaged to address these connectivity challenges by identifying and evaluating potential vendors and infrastructure options to create second and third connectivity paths. This involved exploring various types of connectivity, including internet access, point-to-point capacity, wavelengths, and dark fibre. Additionally, Cambridge MC was asked to provide recommendations for building a local fibre network around the data centre to control and maintain diverse paths. This would allow the data centre to connect directly to nearby points of presence (PoPs) and reduce dependency on external providers, thereby enhancing network resilience and operational control. The goal of this project was to ensure that the Nordic data centre could maintain continuous operations even in the event of a failure in the primary connection. Approach & Skills Cambridge MC approached the project with a focus on ensuring operational continuity and resilience for the data centre. By identifying multiple connectivity paths, we aimed to mitigate the risk of network failures and ensure that the data centre could maintain continuous operations even in the event of a failure in the primary connection. This approach allowed Cambridge MC to provide a comprehensive solution to address both immediate and long-term connectivity needs. We employed a combination of Agile and Waterfall methodologies to manage the project. The initial investigative phase allowed a Waterfall approach, in which our team conducted thorough research and analysis to identify potential vendors and connectivity options. This phase involved detailed interviews with various telecommunications providers and an assessment of publicly available information. Once the initial analysis was complete, the workflow transitioned to an Agile approach for the implementation phase. This allowed Cambridge MC to adapt to new information and feedback from stakeholders, ensuring that the final solution was both flexible and robust. Challenges Lack of information: One of the primary obstacles we faced was the lack of detailed network maps and information from some of the potential vendors. To overcome this, the team conducted extensive interviews with contacts at these companies and leveraged its existing network of industry contacts to gather as much information as possible. Remote location: Another challenge was the remote location of the data centre, which limited the availability of local infrastructure and required us to explore creative solutions for connectivity. Cambridge MC addressed this by proposing the construction of a local fibre network around the data centre, which would allow for greater control and flexibility in connecting to nearby PoPs. Fragmented factors: Additionally, coordinating with multiple vendors and ensuring that their services could be integrated seamlessly posed a logistical challenge. We mitigated this by recommending a phased approach to implementation, starting with the most critical connectivity paths and gradually expanding to include additional options. Outcomes & Results Increased Connectivity: Cambridge MC successfully identified and evaluated multiple connectivity paths for the data centre. By exploring various types of connectivity, including internet access, point-to-point capacity, wavelengths, and dark fibre, we provided a comprehensive solution that significantly enhanced network resilience and reliability. Greater Control & Flexibility: Our recommendations for building a local fibre network around the data centre allowed for greater control and flexibility in connecting to nearby points of presence, ensuring continuous operations even in the event of a failure in the primary connection. New Vendors: The team’s extensive network of industry contacts and deep understanding of the regional telecommunications landscape allowed for a thorough and nuanced evaluation of potential vendors and connectivity options. Scope for Future Work: Cambridge MC identified several future developments with the potential to further enhance international connectivity and provide additional redundancy for the data centre. We also proposed further assistance, including a site visit for a more in-depth analysis of options, issuing RFI/RFP to vendors for capacity and fibre, and conducting similar connectivity studies for other candidate sites in the region.