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As part of its commitment to future-focused economic, nutrition and environmental policies, the REWE Group conducts a multilevel dialogue with political leaders and fosters open discourse. At the same time, the company with a workforce of 384,000 people assumes a major responsibility that arises from its role as a food supplier of the general population. The REWE Group exercises this responsibility through this dialogue.
GRI 415: Public policy
Management approach
Implementation
The REWE Group maintains offices in Berlin and Brussels that act as platforms for dialogue and debate with stakeholder groups that are relevant to trade, tourism and the REWE Group. The company draws anyone who shares its values and principles into this dialogue. The combine’s headquarters in Cologne and Wiener Neudorf are actively engaged in these discussions with political stakeholders in the large number of countries where the REWE Group does business.
The title of the agreement that Germany’s new three-party coalition government signed at the end of 2021 sums up the political leaders’ aims: “Dare More Progress – Alliance for Freedom, Justice and Sustainability”. The coalition agreement contains farsighted proposals that impact all business areas and activities of the REWE Group – from the dramatic acceleration of efforts to expand the use of renewable energies to the transition to species-appropriate animal-husbandry practises and the aim of increasing the share of land used for organic farming to 30 percent by 2030. The REWE Group has been intensively focusing on these issues for years now, and the company shares its practical experience with political stakeholders during these discussions. The company takes the same approach to the wide range of areas addressed in the EU Green Deal, a plan that is designed to make the EU’s economy more sustainable and turn climate and environmental issues into opportunities. The REWE Group welcomes the EU Commission’s push to create a coherent framework that will guide efforts in the next few years to achieve climate neutrality across Europe and to uncouple economic growth from use of resources.
During the reporting period, a number of background meetings and events were held. Invitations to these meetings were extended to many policy makers from a range of parties. Many of these meetings were held digitally as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The issues discussed here included regional value chains, the future of agriculture and living incomes in the cocoa sector. Representatives of the REWE Group also conducted direct conversations with political leaders and representatives of government authorities for the purpose of sensitising them about relevant issues and outlining the company’s interests. Furthermore, representatives of the REWE Group served as speakers, guests or discussion partners at events hosted by government authorities, political parties and trade associations. These events focused on political and social issues that are relevant to the company. The trade and tourism company has clear reasons for doing such public-affairs work: The REWE Group would be affected by legislation covering the introduction of a due diligence law or a ban on the culling of male chicks. During the reporting period, the public-affairs work focused on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the REWE Group’s business units.
Donations made to political parties or political organisations, office holders, government authorities, churches and other religious groups must be approved by the Management Board member responsible for the respective area and the Chief Compliance Officer of the REWE Group. Every donation must comply with legal regulations and regulatory guidelines at the REWE Group, including the Code of Conduct.
Since 2014, the REWE Group has reported on its activities and annual spending on political dialogue at European level in the European Union’s Transparency Register.
GRI 415-1:
Political contributions
The REWE Group conducted no political party sponsoring during the reporting period. No information about retailers was available. In 2016, the REWE Group became a member of the business-focused organisations of the Social Democrats and Christian Democrats in Germany: the Wirtschaftsforum der SPD e. V. and the Wirtschaftsrat der CDU e. V. It is also a member of similar group organised by Alliance 90/The Greens: Grünen Wirtschaftsdialog e. V. The three memberships cost the company a total of about 56,000 euros annually. The REWE Group has also been a member of the Business Advisory Board of the Greens’ parliamentary group in Berlin since 2018.
