Climate protection for our future

Our lifestyles and business practices affect the environment and climate. A large part of the global CO2 emissions result from the manufacture, transport, and consumption of products and the provision of services.

We at REWE Group want to make a measurable contribution to climate protection and constantly reduce our CO2 emissions with the help of various measures:

We’ve added glass doors to our refrigerated shelving, use climate-
friendly refrigerants, installed LED lighting and use green energy and photovoltaic systems. But in retail, there is more to protecting the climate than just reducing energy consumption in our stores. In 2009, we defined a climate target to achieve this and are constantly developing it. But, of course, we also want to further reduce climate-relevant emissions in our supply chains. REWE Group has committed themselves to define short and long-term company-wide reduction targets in accordance with the scientifical net zero standard of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). These also include emissions from the supply chain. Our ambitious goal: we want to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 – as an entire Group.

Our climate targets

Limiting global warming to 1.5 °C: We join the Science Based Targets Initiative with the REWE Group.

Net-zero emissions

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

Our targets

By joining the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), REWE Group has committed itself to science-based climate targets based on the 1.5-degree pathway of the Paris Climate Agreement.
Our ambitious goal is to achieve net-zero emissions as a Group by 2050.
The focus here is not only on drastically reducing emissions in our own activities, but also in our supply chains.

Green stores for a green future: The Green Building Concept

We operate stores in Germany and Austria and in nine other European countries. The construction and operation of the stores cause the use of energy and other resources. We are aware of this and we lay great emphasis on systematically reducing the consumption by using energy-efficient technologies, regenerative energies and sustainable wooden construction. All new buildings in Germany are constructed in accordance with the standards of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). Our successful implementation of the Green Building Concept demonstrates that building and operating more sustainable stores has ecological and economical benefits.

Award: REWE Green Farming in Erbenheim named Store of the Year 2022

The competition for the most innovative and exciting retail properties in Germany has been won by the REWE Green Farming pilot store in Wiesbaden-Erbenheim.
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Green energy for stores, warehouses and travel agencies

As an internationally operating company we are aware that our operations cause the use of energy, in stores or travel agencies, during transport or in administrative buildings. Energy is used for cooling and lighting, for heat generation and fuels are used for transporting goods from warehouses to the stores and online orders to the customers. We want to use energy in a responsible way and reduce the negative impacts on the environment by using alternative energy sources. We focus on reducing our specific use of energy and want to use and produce renewable energy. Moreover, we aim to secure a diverse use of energy. EHA Energie-Handels-Gesellschaft, the central energy service provider of REWE Group, is our reliable partner.

We use green energy

that is especially high-quality
that entirely comes from renewable sources
that comes at least 30 per cent from young regenerative generation plants
that is certified by TÜV-Süd, including its seal.

Interview with Jan-Oliver Heidrich: “As EHA, we offer reliability”

Energy prices remain a crucial issue for retailers, producers and consumers. At REWE Group, we also focus on sustainable business practices and take a long-term view, particularly when it comes to energy. This includes the long-term portfolio management strategy of our energy wholesale subsidiary, EHA. In this interview, managing partner Jan-Oliver Heidrich talks about long-term procurement strategies, short-term factors affecting the price of electricity, and the green electricity of the future.
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Fresh wind for green energy

We make our contribution to shaping the energy transition on a regional and national level. We are the first food retailer in Germany to obtain green energy from a wind farm in the North Sea for REWE, PENNY, toom Baumarkt and our travel agencies. After comprehensive planning and preparation, the construction of the new offshore wind farm by Ørsted Borkum Riffgrund 3 (BKR03) has begun. In September 2021, EHA, the central energy service provider of REWE Group, and Ørsted, world market leader for offshore wind farms, signed the Corporate Power Purchase Agreement. Now, the installation of the 83 foundations in the North Sea has begun. The wind power plants have a nominal output of 11 megawatt and a rotor diameter of 200 metres and will be the largest in the German North Sea. The wind farm BKR03 will be put into operation in 2025. It will have an overall capacity of around 900 megawatt and it is located near the existing offshore wind farms Borkum Riffgrund 1 and 2 operated by Ørsted. In future, we will obtain energy for around 1,500 stores from the wind farm. By obtaining green power from the new plant we invest directly in the expansion of renewable energies – a large step on our way to achieve our climate targets.

Total megawatt capacity

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

Solar power for the future

Photovoltaic is among the most important sources of generating energy of the future. We have to use the power of the sun a lot more to achieve the energy transition. Retail plays an important role in achieving this, because the roofs and open spaces of stores offer great potential for installing photovoltaic plants. In years to come, we will install hundreds of photovoltaic plants on selected buildings of our corporate group. The green power generated this way is used for our own operations while at the same time uniting the cost savings within our cooperatively organised company. All operations are profiting from the solar power – not only those that have solar plants installed on their roof. In terms of a diversified supply we protect ourselves from market price risks and reduce the use of the energy supply system.

New standardised solar plant concept

As the central energy service provider of REWE Group, EHA oversees the technical planning and implementation of the solar power offensive. Experts have developed a standardised photovoltaic plant concept for existing and new buildings that facilitates long-term operation as an intelligent solution. The modularly extensible and scalable system can be adjusted to any location.
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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

Beside CO2 reduction on the company level we are also working on reducing the greenhouse gas emissions in our supply chains – our purchased goods at REWE and PENNY in Germany. We will be able to achieve this only in cooperation with our suppliers, because a large part of the emissions is caused in the upstream value chain and their sub-suppliers.

Working as equal partners for climate protection: REWE Group’s supplier initiative

At REWE and PENNY Germany, we are committed to comprehensive measures that effectively reduce our emissions and promote innovative solutions along the entire supply chain.
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Strong partners: REWE Group and NABU

Since 2015, a strategic partnership over many years links us with the Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V. (NABU). Together with NABU we support strong and effective climate protection projects on topics like marine conservation, packaging, resource conservation and promotion of the biologic diversity. In task forces and strategic workshops we are working on roadmaps to achieve our sustainability targets together with NABU.

Since 2022, a new component for REWE in Germany is the NABU climate fund. It was established to purchase or lease former moors and wet grasslands and renaturate them as effective carbon reservoirs. By 2025, more than 25 million euros are used for renaturating moors in Germany and the EU. Moors are known to be large CO2 reservoirs. They must be conserved and renaturated. The first space for renaturating a moor near the German city of Cuxhaven is secured.

An intact moor helps to protect the climate

REWE has long partnered with the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) to protect the climate. Now, the NABU Climate Fund is helping to restore a moor. We went to see it for ourselves.
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Financial power for moor protection

The NABU Climate Fund will channel at least 25 million euros into the rewetting of moors in Germany and the EU by 2025.

Taking up speed: We use alternative drives

We are testing different alternative drives to protect the climate and the environment. Our trucks transport goods, fresh and cooled products among them, over hundreds of kilometres. We are conducting our tests on a broad basis, because it remains unclear which forms of alternative drives will prevail in the future.

Company-owned hydrogen fuel cell trucks are rolling through the REWE regions West and North. They are fuelled with hydrogen generated by using renewable energies and make their tours without producing any emissions.

In Berlin, seven electric trucks supply more than 300 REWE stores. Our cooperation with the Swedish transport technology company Einride enables us to save hundreds of tons of CO2. Moreover, our trucks make their tours through the capital city of Germany considerably more quietly. The vehicles are reloaded at our logistic site in Oranienburg. More testings will follow.