The ALDI SOUTH Group has become one of the first international food retailers to set a company-wide Science Based Target (SBT) for climate protection. The group aims to reduce its overall operational emissions by more than a quarter by the end of 2025.
By setting its climate targets, the ALDI SOUTH Group is making a long-term commitment to help reduce global warming to well below two degrees Celsius. This has been confirmed by the Science Based Targets initiative, which took a close look at the global food retailer’s targets and validated them based on scientific criteria. The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a collaboration between Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). It defines and promotes best practice in science-based target setting and independently assesses companies’ targets.
By the end of 2025, the ALDI SOUTH Group aims to reduce the operational emissions of its sites by more than a quarter compared to 2016. The Group is proud to partner with suppliers who share its values. That’s why strategic suppliers, who are responsible for 75% of product related emissions, are encouraged to set their own science-based emissions targets by the end of 2024. With these measures, the Group is working towards its vision of ‘zero carbon‘.
Climate protection has been a major focus of the ALDI SOUTH Group for many years now. In 2014, the company adopted its first international climate strategy. The original ambitious goal was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced by its national markets by 30% per square metre of sales area by 2020. The results speak for themselves – not only did all countries reach the target two years before the deadline, the company has also continuously improved energy efficiency. Large parts of cooling systems are now using natural refrigerants and 89% of electricity is coming from renewable energy sources.
Furthermore, more than 1,800 of the 6,500 stores worldwide have already been fitted with photovoltaic systems on the roofs. Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Hungary and the United Kingdom and Ireland offset remaining emissions via certified climate protection projects. The ambitious climate targets reinforce the food retailer’s endeavours to make a positive and valuable contribution to global climate protection.
