REWE Group to cut its CO₂ emissions by 30 per cent by 2015

Cologne, 26.06.09

First corporate carbon footprint drawn up in cooperation with Öko-Institut and Austrian Federal Office for the Environment

After REWE Group has already become the largest consumer of green electricity in Germany, the company has set itself the most ambitious objective to cut emissions - laid down in the corporate carbon footprint published on friday (26 June) for the first time - in European food trading:  REWE Group will reduce its annual CO2 emissions of 2.5 million tons by 30 per cent by 2015. Compared to the 2006 reference year, the CO₂ emissions per square metre of sales floor area will thus be reduced from 320 kg to 224 kg.

In order to achieve this ambitious goal, the company closely cooperates in Germany with the independent Freiburg-based Öko-Institut and in Austria with the Federal Office for the Environment in the collection and evaluation of data and in taking further steps. This is based on the "Greenhouse Gas Protocol", the most widely accepted standard for the collection of greenhouse gas data at companies. More than 60 per cent of the total emissions of REWE Group are caused by the factor "electricity". By increasing the energy efficiency of the stores and by the switching to green electricity important steps towards achieving the corporate climate goals have already been taken. Now, the aspects of refrigerating agents (15 per cent of the emissions), heat (12 per cent), logistics (8 per cent), paper consumption (3 per cent) and business travels (2 per cent) are on the agenda.

"With our goal to reduce CO₂ emissions by 30 per cent, we are the leaders in the European food trading when it comes to climate protection. In cooperation with the Öko-Institut and the Austrian Federal Office for the Environment we have collected and evaluated hundreds of thousands of data records. No other company in Europe has such a comprehensive and transparent basis to build on. By this, we show that we take the protection of our climate very seriously. In our corporate carbon footprint it is documented in detail what we want to achieve and when", said Manfred Esser, REWE Group Management Board member in charge of strategic purchasing, today at the Cologne-based company headquarters on the occasion of presenting the brochure.

The corporate carbon footprint is based on a "control-based" approach. That means that only those parts of the value added chain are taken into consideration for the balance, which can be directly influenced by REWE Group. In other words, production and transport processes of suppliers as well as the use of products by customers are not taken into account.

Energy efficient stores

By switching to green electricity at the beginning of 2008, the CO₂ emissions per square metre were reduced to 250 kg, which is a low value when compared on international level. This reduction was possible despite the fact that the sales floor area of REWE Group was increased during the same period and that several thousands of REWE and PENNY stores close after 8 p.m. By the end of 2009, all self-service fresh meat shelves in Germany will be equipped with glass doors.  This will help saving up to 40 per cent of power per equipment unit. Compound refrigerating equipment reduces energy consumption and allows saving twelve tons of CO₂ per store.  Heat pumps are already in use in 465 stores to recover waste heat of refrigerating equipment for heating the stores. As many as 124 stores are operated without any fossil fuels at all. REWE Group uses in Germany the environmentally more friendly refrigerating agent R134a despite its higher investment costs. In 10,000 deep freezers, the climate friendly gases propane and butane are used; in almost ten stores first pilot tests are run using CO₂ refrigeration.

Green power from renewable sources

Since the beginning of 2008 REWE Group has been using in Germany and Austria a 100 per cent of its power from renewable sources such as water, wind, sun and bio mass to supply its more than 8,000 stores (REWE, BILLA, MERKUR, BIPA, PENNY, toom Baumarkt DIY, B1 BauMarkt-Discount DIY, ProMarkt), its own travel agencies (Atlas, Derpart) and warehouses. The company makes great demands on the origin of the certified green electricity since 25 per cent of the power plants need to be younger than three years. In combination with the voluntary obligation to add generating plants, the extension of new regenerative power plants is being continuously promoted.

REWE Group not only buys green electricity, it meanwhile generates solar energy itself. Four warehouses locations are equipped with more than 36,000 square metres of photovoltaic installations whose power generation would be sufficient to supply more than 1,000 households with energy over one year. By the end of 2010, another 50,000 square metres of solar cells will be added.

Further improvements in logistics

By the targeted extension of the warehouse base with the addition of ten new locations by 2011, the transport distances to be bridged will considerably be reduced. The aim here is to reduce both transport costs and CO₂ emissions. Computer systems guarantee that the trucks of REWE Group are already used to a capacity of 90 per cent. Training courses for drivers and the shift of transports from road to rail contribute to a further reduction of emissions. Up to five per cent of fuel can be saved by forward-looking driving and an optimal maintenance of transport vehicles.

The corporate carbon footprint is downloadable (in German and English) at rewe-group.com under "Sustainability - Publications".

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REWE GROUP-Corporate Communications
Tel.: 0221 - 149-1050
E-Mail: presse(at)rewe-group.com

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