PENNY’s private label Food for Future and REWE’s new range REWE Bio + vegan both demonstrate that a purely plant-based diet not only protects the climate, but can also be delicious and varied. It is worth noting that both private labels are now climate neutral.
Consumer behaviour and diet play a central role in climate protection, so what we eat, and how and where we buy our food does make a difference. According to the Federal Centre for Nutrition, food accounts for one fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions in Germany. Globally, it accounts for almost a third. That’s why both REWE and PENNY are also working on embedding climate protection in their product ranges. With REWE Bio + vegan and Food for Future, REWE and PENNY are making it easier for customers to start moving towards a more climate-friendly, plant-based diet. These REWE and PENNY product ranges are entirely plant based. They also contribute to animal welfare and will soon be labelled as climate neutral on the packaging.
Stefan Magel, the REWE Group’s Executive Board Member for Retail Germany and COO PENNY, welcomes the move to make Food for Future climate neutral to minimise the impact on the climate: Our climate is increasingly going from one extreme to the other. We must all do our bit to combat the truly devastating consequences of climate change. That’s why our company has set such ambitious climate goals. I am proud that we have succeeded in making our vegan private label, Food For Future, climate neutral. Another positive aspect is that vegan and vegetarian products often have a much lower carbon footprint than their animal alternatives. This means that their consumption has less impact on the environment.
Peter Maly, REWE Group’s Executive Board Member for Retail Germany and COO REWE, also considers the introduction of a vegan, climate-neutral private label product range at REWE as an important step towards achieving the REWE Group’s climate goals: REWE is aware of its special responsibility toward people, animals and the environment. Sustainability is not a fleeting trend at the REWE Group. In fact, it has been integral to the business strategy for more than ten years. We are committed to expanding our sustainability leadership by making more environmentally friendly and socially responsible product ranges, amongst other things. The climate neutrality of REWE Bio + vegan is an important part of this, and is something we plan to build on with other private labels.
The production of plant-based alternatives helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from animal farming. However, emissions cannot be avoided completely even with vegan foods. Because REWE Bio + vegan and Food for Future are climate neutral, REWE and PENNY offset ‘unavoidable’ emissions by investing in afforestation projects in Germany and forest protection projects in Peru. In the future, consumers will be able use a QR code or partner number on the packaging of Food for Future and REWE Bio + vegan products to find out more about these climate protection projects.
Let’s talk figures. According to calculations by project partner ClimatePartner, PENNY is now offsetting more than 16,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, while REWE is offsetting 32,600 tonnes.
The compensation from PENNY and REWE is invested in a certified climate and forest protection project in Peru. REWE and PENNY are also planting trees in Eulenthal near Overath to counter the effects of climate change in Germany. PENNY is planting up to 16,000 trees as part of the project. And in Overath, REWE is planting one tree per offset tonne of CO2; that’s more than 32,600 oaks, maple, chequer, service and wild cherry trees. The afforestation project, which launched in November 2021, also involves planting native shrubs at the edges of forests.
The “REWE Bio + vegan” products make it easier for consumers to enjoy a meat-free, climate-friendly and versatile diet. By the end of the year, the range will include around 30 products – from cream cheese, mozzarella and yogurt alternatives to cereal milk, vegan remoulade sauce and tofu products. All products have also been climate-neutral since September 2021.
With “Food for Future”, PENNY was the first retailer in Germany to launch a vegan own brand across all product groups. The constantly growing range now includes around 30 items – from vegan mince and chocolate to mini schnitzels and rice nuggets. The “Food for Future” products have been climate-neutral since September 2021.
The latest Global Risks Report from the World Economic Forum cites climate change as the biggest threat to humanity, increasing the likelihood of extreme heat events, storms, droughts and flooding. Food production accounts for a significant percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions. As a responsible food retailer, the REWE Group has set some ambitious climate goals as part of its commitment to climate action. It easily achieved and in fact surpassed its goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions per square metre of retail space by 2022.
The new climate goal is to become climate neutral at the corporate level by 2040 in all countries where the REWE Group has a presence. The REWE Group’s interim goal by 2030 is to reduce its absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent compared with 2019. The REWE Group is taking different approaches to achieve these climate goals. One of these is the expansion of plant-based product ranges at both REWE and PENNY. More about climate protection activities at the REWE Group.
