Climate protection for our future

Our lifestyles and business practices impact the environment and the earth’s climate. A large part of global CO₂ emissions result from the manufacture, transport, and consumption of products and the provision of services. We set our first climate target for the REWE Group’s business processes and published our first climate report back in 2009. That report revealed that electrical power usage in our stores, warehouses, and administrative buildings is responsible for half of the REWE Group’s greenhouse gas emissions. Since then, we have been implementing a variety of measures to steadily decrease our CO₂ emissions. For example, we’ve added glass doors to our refrigerated shelving, converted to climate-friendly refrigerants, and installed LED lighting. But in the retail trade, protecting the climate is about more than reducing energy consumption in our stores. We also have to look at our supply chains. That’s why REWE and PENNY have set a specific target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions along the supply chains for their private label products.

Our climate targets

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

Our climate targets

We want to reduce the absolute greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂ equivalents) of our company by 30 % compared to 2019 by 2030.

Our targets

REWE und PENNY have 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).
By 2030, we aim to reduce our absolute greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 equivalents) at the company level to 30 percent below 2019 levels. This applies to all countries in Europe where we operate as a trade and tourism group.
By 2040, we want to become climate neutral on a REWE Group-wide level. This includes all European countries in which we are operating as a trade and tourism company.

Vegan private-label product lines go climate neutral

A vegan diet can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, since a substantial part of climate-damaging emissions are produced by the livestock and poultry industry. The vegan private-label product lines “Food for Future” from PENNY and “REWE Bio + vegan” from REWE go the extra mile: both are now climate neutral.

Green power

We have been buying certified green power for our stores, warehouses, and travel agencies in Germany and Austria since early 2008.

To sustainability report

Green building in keeping with German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) standards

We have developed a climate-friendly green building philosophy for the construction of new stores. It combines modern architectural design with energy efficient technologies and relies on renewable energy sources. In the middle of 2023, we already had 371 stores that meet green building criteria. Another 155 green buildings were either under construction or in the planning phase.

To sustainability report

LED lighting

Light accounts for around 25 percent of the power used in grocery stores. In our toom DIY stores, that figure is 60 percent. To reduce those figures, our energy management team is working to develop efficient lighting concepts. And LEDs play an important role, reducing the amount of electricity required for lighting by as much as 45 percent.

Refrigerants

Refrigerant choice has a major impact on greenhouse gas emissions. That’s why we use climate-friendly refrigerants. Our goal: By 2030, we want to reduce refrigeration-related greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent for all countries and companies of REWE Group (compared to 2019). We have already achieved 30,3 percent.

To sustainability report

Guideline on sustainable business practices

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges we face worldwide. That is why the international community agreed under the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to well below two degrees compared with pre-industrial levels. The REWE Group took up this challenge early on: We released our first climate target in 2009 and had already begun switching over to certified green power a year before that. We want to make a measurable contribution to protecting the earth’s climate and resources. And we have firmly established that goal in our sustainability policy.