Brand Republic sums up the ethical hairpulling going on...

On BrandRepublic this week, Chris Arnold offers a nice blow-by-blow account of the current supermarket war over green, applauding the immense success of the media machine that has been Plan A, whilst raising a well-groomed brow at Tesco's £1.99 chicken.

The real contenders for the leafy crown are, of course, M&S and Coop. Asda's efforts have fallen on deaf media ears - I've certainly read more in the industry press about their absent parent, Walmart.

So who's winning? Well, M&S have certainly dominated communications channels, right down to their latest 5p plastic bag move. However, Coop are proving how important coherent brand values can be.

For social responsibility is enshrined in the heart of the company, one of four ethical values it subscribes to. And here, in the co-operative world, profit is less likely to hijack the operation. They have wind turbines, solar panels, and their own paper recycling facility in Manchester. Over 4000 of their branches are powered by wind and water. Their tills have an auto-switch-off function to save energy overnight. And yes, they have a green credit card. Wow.

But it did take me a good ten minutes of googling to find all that out. Is there a danger they'll be left behind in the communications race? Perhaps they'll be happy with that - a 'green gem' for those in the know. And perhaps, without huge shareholder demands to live up to, rising above the greenrush is a luxury they can afford to take.

Inspired by this blog entry.