Energy, Climate and Environment

We are aware of our responsibility for the climate and take care to use resources responsibly and reduce emissions.

Responsibility for the climate and the environment

REWE Group is aware of its responsibility for the climate. A large proportion of global CO2 emissions are caused by the manufacture and consumption of products and by the provision of services. Even in our markets and in logistics greenhouse gases are produced.

At the same time, we are affected by climate change ourselves: Climatic changes can affect our locations and threaten the cultivation and harvesting of raw materials. In travel and tourism, the climate change can endanger entire destinations in the long term – including islands, coastal regions and ski resorts.

More information on the Energy, Climate and Environment pillar

REWE Group – Committed to Climate Protection

Using resources responsibly and saving emissions

At our locations, in logistics and with a view to the use of resources, we make sure that the impact on the climate and the environment is kept to a minimum. We strive to use resources sparingly and increase the use of more sustainable materials. Saving energy and avoiding climate-damaging emissions is particularly important to us.

We take care to keep the impact on the climate and the environment to a minimum.

Within the fields of action “Energy Efficiency”, “Climate-relevant Emissions” and “Resource Conservation”, we develop effective measures to reduce our impact on the climate and the environment:

Energy Efficiency

Reducing power consumption and optimising lighting

Whether in stores, transport or administration – REWE Group consumes energy as part of its business activities. Responsible consumption and the use of alternative energy sources can help to protect the environment. In this way, we are continuously working on reducing our energy consumption.

A group-wide energy management system forms the basis for targeted savings. It enables us to record energy consumption in our stores and warehouses centrally and on a daily basis. Efficient lighting concepts can reduce electricity consumption – and the use of LEDs plays a major role in this respect. In addition, the cooling of food is an important determining factor. Through the use of optimised refrigerated shelves in the stores, continuous maintenance and professional control, we contribute to saving cooling energy

More information on the field of action of Energy Efficiency

Climate-relevant Emissions

Using alternative sources of energy and reducing climate-relevant emissions

The avoidance of climate-damaging emissions is of great importance to REWE Group. The challenge lies in particular in reducing energy consumption while at the same time increasing the demands on product range and convenience, which require more transport and refrigeration. It is our aim to make a measurable contribution to the protection of resources and to keep the impact on the climate and the environment as low as possible.

Our annual climate balance provides information on the savings achieved. We purchase certified green electricity for our stores, warehouses and travel agencies and thus promote the use of alternative energies. The refrigerants used in refrigeration systems are a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions – we are increasingly using natural, more climate-friendly means to reduce these emissions.

More information on the field of action of Climate-relevant Emissions

Resource Conservation

Optimising raw material consumption and reducing waste

We use a variety of materials for our daily activities – and therefore require natural raw materials. The efficient use of these materials is a core element of sustainable management. To this end, we optimise relevant resource consumption in our business processes and implement measures in the upstream and downstream stages of the value chain. With the successful implementation of the Green Building concept, REWE Group is demonstrating that the construction and operation of more sustainable trading properties makes ecological and economic sense.

When dealing with waste and recyclable materials, REWE Group and its disposal partners consistently pursue the goal of recycling. In order to reduce the amount of waste from transport packaging, we use reusable containers in logistics. We have set up a take-back system for textiles: Clothes donation banks are available at many locations of our PENNY sales line. In this way, we help to ensure that textiles are not thrown away but can be recycled. In addition, we only use recycled paper or paper from sustainable forestry with the corresponding FSC® or PEFC™ certificates.

More information on the field of action of Resource Conservation