Corporate Carbon Footprint

The objective is ambitious: Compared to 2006, REWE Group will cut its specific greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2015. Emissions will thus be reduced by about 320 kilogrammes of CO₂ equivalents to 224 kilogrammes of CO₂ equivalents per square metre of sales floor area.

The first corporate carbon footprint, drawn up by REWE Group in June 2009 in Germany in cooperation with the independent Öko-Institut and in Austria with the Federal Office for the Environment, is based on the "Greenhouse Gas Protocol", according to which more than 60 per cent of REWE Group's emissions are attributable to "electricity" followed by refrigerating agents (15 per cent), heat (12 per cent), logistics (8 per cent), paper consumption (3 per cent) and business travels (2 per cent).

REWE Group is focussing its commitment to climate protection on those areas that promise the biggest impact. Since more than half of all CO₂ emissions are caused by electricity consumption, both improving energy efficiency and generating power from renewable sources plays a key role. Since 2008 a 100 percent of the company's energy requirements are covered by certified green electricity from water, wind, sun and bio mass: in Germany 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 thus being continuously promoted.

Advanced technologies combined with processes that allow saving every kilowatt hour for lighting, heating or refrigeration that can be avoided - this is the core of the energy efficiency management REWE Group has introduced throughout the entire company. Also logistics processes are continuously improved in order to cut fuel consumption and thus reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Beyond these technical improvements, one focus of REWE Group in future will be on the promotion of further measures aimed at motivating its employees to save energy.