Climate

  • The way we live and do business affects the environment and the climate.

    At the REWE Group, we are implementing numerous measures to protect the environment and the climate: In our stores, we have installed glass-fronted refrigerated display cases, switched to modern refrigerants, installed LED lighting, and rely on electricity from renewable energy sources. However, climate protection in the retail sector means more than just operating stores in an energy-efficient manner. That’s why we first defined a climate goal back in 2009 and continue to refine it.

Our climate targets

As the REWE Group, we have joined the Science Based Targets Initiative.

Net-zero emissions

Our ambitious goal is to achieve net-zero emissions as a Group by 2050.

Our Goals

  • By joining the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), we at the REWE Group are committing to science-based climate targets based on the 1.5-degree pathway of the Paris Agreement.

  • Our ambitious goal: By 2050, we aim to achieve net-zero emissions as a Group.

  • The focus here is not only on drastically reducing emissions in our own operations, but also in our supply chains.

Our Holistic Market Concept

We operate stores in Germany and Austria, as well as in nine other European countries. The construction and operation of our stores consume energy and other resources. We are aware of this, and we are particularly committed to systematically reducing this consumption through energy-efficient technologies, the use of renewable energy, and innovative timber construction methods. All new buildings in Germany are constructed according to the standards of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). Through the successful implementation of our holistic store concept, we demonstrate that it makes both ecological and economic sense to build and operate more sustainable retail properties.

Energy for Retail Stores, Warehouses, and Travel Agencies

As a globally active corporation, we are aware that our business operations consume energy — whether in our stores, travel agencies, during transportation, or in our administrative offices. This consumption includes electricity — primarily for cooling and lighting — energy sources for heating, and fuels for transporting products — from warehouses to retail locations and, in the case of online orders, to customers. We aim to use energy responsibly and reduce our environmental impact by utilizing alternative energy sources. In addition, we strive for a secure and diverse energy supply. EHA Energie-Handels-Gesellschaft, the REWE Group’s central energy service provider, is our reliable partner in this endeavor.

We rely on electricity that:

  • comes 100 percent from renewable sources

  • comes from young renewable energy generation facilities at a rate of at least 30 percent

  • TÜV Süd certified, including the seal.

A Breath of Fresh Air for Our Electricity

  • We are helping to shape the energy transition at both the regional and national levels. We will be the first food retailer in Germany to source renewable energy from a wind farm in the North Sea for REWE, PENNY, toom Baumarkt DIY store, and our Travel and Tourism division. Following extensive planning and preparation, construction has now begun on Ørsted’s new offshore wind farm, Borkum Riffgrund 3 (BKR03). In September 2021, EHA, the RWE Group’s central energy service provider, and Ørsted, the global market leader in offshore wind farms, signed the power purchase agreement—and now installation work on the 83 foundations in the North Sea has begun. With a rated capacity of 11 megawatts and a rotor diameter of 200 meters, these will be the largest turbines in the German North Sea. The wind farm is scheduled to begin operations in 2026. The new wind farm will have a total capacity of approximately 900 MW and will be built in the German North Sea near Ørsted’s existing Borkum Riffgrund 1 and 2 offshore wind farms. In the future, we will source electricity from the wind farm for approximately 1,500 stores. By purchasing electricity from the new facility, we are investing directly in the expansion of renewable energy—a major step toward achieving our climate goal.

Total megawatt capacity

The new Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm in the North Sea will have a total capacity of around 913 megawatts.

Toward the Future with Solar Power

Photovoltaics are among the most important sources of electricity generation for the future. For the energy transition to succeed, we must make much greater use of the sun’s power. The food retail sector has an important role to play in this regard, as the roofs and open spaces of our stores offer great potential for photovoltaic systems. The electricity generated from renewable sources in this way is intended for the locations’ own use, with the cost savings shared across our cooperatively organized group. This way, all locations benefit from the solar power—not just those with corresponding rooftop systems. By diversifying our energy supply, we protect ourselves against market price risks while simultaneously reducing the strain on the power grid.

  • A hand on a module of a photovoltaic system

    New Standardized Solar System Design

    As the REWE Group’s central energy service provider, EHA is responsible for the technical planning and implementation of the solar power initiative. To this end, the experts have developed a standardized photovoltaic system concept for existing and new buildings—an intelligent solution that simplifies long-term operations management. The modular, expandable, and scalable system can be adapted to any location as needed.

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Solar panels on a roof

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REWE Group invests in climate protection

REWE Group is investing in climate protection and in diversifying its electricity supply. It has now commissioned an exemplary photovoltaic system in the northern region.

Reducing Emissions in the Supply Chain

In addition to reducing CO2 emissions at the corporate level, we are working—as part of our climate goal—to also reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our supply chains, specifically those associated with the goods we purchase at REWE and PENNY in Germany. This can only be achieved in collaboration with our suppliers. This is because a large portion of emissions originates in the upstream value chain—including, among others, our suppliers and their suppliers.

Strong Partners: The REWE Group and NABU

We have had a strategic partnership with the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) since 2015. Together with NABU, we support strong and effective climate protection projects on topics such as marine conservation, packaging, resource conservation, and the promotion of biodiversity. In working groups and strategy workshops, we collaborate with NABU to develop roadmaps for achieving our sustainability goals.

Since 2022, REWE has supported the NABU Climate Fund in Germany, which aims to purchase or lease former bogs and wet meadows and restore them as effective carbon sinks. As is well known, bogs are powerful CO2 sinks—but to serve this purpose, they must be preserved and restored. The first area for bog restoration near Cuxhaven has now been secured.

Financial power for moor protection

Through the NABU Climate Fund, at least 25 million euros will be allocated by 2025 to the rewetting of peatlands in Germany and the EU.​

We’re picking up speed — with alternative powertrains

To protect the climate and the environment, we are increasingly testing alternative propulsion systems. Our trucks transport goods over hundreds of kilometers—including fresh and refrigerated products. Since it is still unclear which alternative propulsion systems will become mainstream in delivery transport in the future, we are taking a broad approach to our testing.

For example, the company’s own hydrogen fuel cell trucks are operating throughout the REWE West and North regions. They are fueled with hydrogen produced using renewable energy.

In Berlin, seven fully electric trucks supply more than 300 REWE stores. Through our partnership with the Swedish freight technology company Einride, we’re not only saving hundreds of metric tons of CO2 — our trucks are also making their rounds through the capital much more quietly. The vehicles are charged at our logistics facility in Oranienburg. Further tests will follow.

Fleet of electric trucks

A networked fleet of fully electric lorries supplies more than 300 REWE stores in the capital region.

  • Packaging

    We are continuously working to improve our packaging while taking into account resource conservation, recyclability, and legal requirements. As part of the implementation of the European Packaging Regulation (PPWR), our existing packaging strategy is currently being reviewed and adapted to future regulatory requirements. The resulting priorities and measures will be published once the review is complete.

  • Empty plastic water bottles
REWE Group's Commitment to Sustainability

Sustainability Projects

Our Commitments and Projects
Apfelplantage der Fa. Krings. Bienenhotel am Apfelfeld, unterstützt durch den NABU.

Responsibility

Sustainability in the REWE Group