Social Involvement
Pillar of Sustainability: Social Involvement
In its role as a reliable partner, REWE Group commits its resources to areas where it does business and to the world’s more destitute regions. In the process, the company works with strong partners who can deliver high-impact support as a result of their local experience. One major objective of REWE Group’s involvement is to create long-term, reliable partnerships for all players. When possible, REWE Group integrates its customers and employees into its projects. This approach strengthens the sense of community and expands the projects’ reach.
In its involvement, REWE Group places a high priority on promoting the development of children and adolescents. One aim of the company’s efforts is to eliminate unequal opportunities. In this work, the company helps socially disadvantaged young people while they are attending school and taking steps to enter the workforce. REWE Group also plays an active role in projects designed to inform children and adolescents at an early age about the need to get plenty of exercise and eat balanced meals. Access to education also plays a major role in the international involvement of REWE Group. The company supports school construction projects, thus helping to improve educational opportunities of children and adolescents.
For the concept of sustainability to take root in society, we need well-informed consumers. And it is easy to understand why: They will be the ones to explore the issue and integrate it into their shopping decisions. For this reason, REWE Group strives to raise the awareness levels of children and adults about more sustainable consumption and more balanced diets. The company also integrates them into its involvement in biodiversity and environmental protection. The company reaches large numbers of customers in the campaigns it conducts in its stores, sharpening their focus on more sustainable lifestyles. REWE Group draws on a wide range of formats in this process – from participatory events and informative action weeks to fund-raising drives conducted through the sale of selected products.
Areas of Action
REWE Group has defined four areas of action for its social involvement with this preamble: “REWE and PENNY support non-profit organisations and projects as well as groups that provide consumer education.” The areas of action are called “healthy diets and exercise”, “opportunities for children and adolescents”, “vigilant approach to food” and “biodiversity and environmental protection”. The areas of action apply to the entire REWE Group. Every sales line covers at least two of these areas with its involvement.
All areas of action are monitored by the “Social Involvement” project group, a team that has been led by Dr Büchel, the member of the Divisional Management Board of Retail Germany who oversees the areas of HR and sustainability, since mid-2016.
Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
As a way of measuring the progress being achieved in the pillar Social Involvement, REWE Group defined key performance indicators (KPIs):
- KPI 1: The number of long-term projects should total at least 70 per cent
- KPI 2: The most important projects and measures as well as those with budgets of more than 30,000 euros are regularly evaluated by a sustainability controlling unit.
Sustainable Development Goals
The social involvement of REWE Group also includes the global goals of more sustainable development, including SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 4: Quality Education and SDG 1: No Poverty This was demonstrated by an analysis in 2016 in which REWE Group measured its sustainability strategy against the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and then identified and prioritised the SDGs that are relevant to the company (see Strategy).
Reporting
The GRI report contains all measures, data and topics related to the pillar Social Involvement: