On the road to greater sustainability

Ladies and gentlemen,
dear readers,

The war in Ukraine is in its third year, the long-simmering conflict in the Middle East has escalated into the Israel-Gaza war with the terrorist attack by Hamas last October. But the other, perhaps quieter crises are not taking a break either. According to data from the EU climate service Copernicus, global warming averaged 1.5 degrees above the reference period in twelve months for the first time. The current Global Tipping Points Report states that five tipping points for our climate on the current path of global warming have already been irrevocably reached.

Despite all the drama of the challenges ahead of us, anyone who knows us knows that we take this as a spur to action. We still have the opportunity to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The latest Food System Economics Commission (FSEC) report shows that a comprehensive transformation of the world’s agricultural and food systems is not only possible but would also bring socio-economic benefits of five to ten trillion US dollars per year. The comprehensive study makes it clear that the costs of a transformation are significantly lower than the value of the potential benefits – which reinforces my belief that our efforts are important and the right thing to do. As food retailers, we see it as our responsibility to ensure that safe, healthy food and climate protection go hand in hand. By joining the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in early 2024, we as the REWE Group have committed ourselves to science-based climate targets based on the 1.5-degree path of the Paris Agreement. Our goal as a group is to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The focus here is not only on drastically reducing emissions in our own activities, but also in our supply chains.

Our customers are always at the centre of our actions for more sustainability, and their needs are our top priority. That is why we are continuously expanding our range to include more sustainable options. We want to get people excited about more sustainable products and encourage conscious consumption. From organic and vegan to regional and local, we offer a wide selection of food for every taste and diet.

As a European company with millions of customer contacts and thousands of suppliers, we have a great responsibility. Our cooperative values and our commitment to sustainability characterize our actions. But we also know that we must not let up in order to achieve our goals.

This progress report gives you an insight into our ongoing commitment in various areas – from climate protection to social involvement.

I wish you an informative and interesting read.

Yours,
Lionel Souque

CEO of the REWE Group

“Our customers are always at the centre of our actions for more sustainability.”