UK Major Retailers Will Ban Incandescents After 2011 - But It's Voluntary, Of Course . . .

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Most major retailers will no longer stock traditional lightbulbs by 2011, the environment secretary, Hilary Benn, told the Labour party conference in Bournemouth today.

But environmental campaigners quickly pointed out that the initiative is voluntary, and incandescent bulbs will still be available from smaller retailers and from online shops.

Several major retailers, including Asda, B&Q, Homebase, IKEA, John Lewis, Marks and Spencer, Morrison's, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose, have agreed to stop restocking traditional 150-watt bulbs from next January.

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But Greenpeace said the announcement fell far short of Australia's pledge to phase out high-energy lightbulbs by 2010. "There's nothing to stop smaller corner shops from stocking them," said a spokesman. "Compared to Australia's mandatory commitment, it's significantly less strong." John Sauven, Greenpeace's executive director, said the initative was "long overdue" and that the government needed to introduce "tough mandatory efficiency standards" to help reduce emissions.

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http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour2007/story/0,,2178187,00.html