Tuesday 13 July 2021
Lidl GB sets sight on becoming carbon-neutral by 2022
Lidl GB has announced ambitious carbon reduction targets and its commitment to become carbon-neutral by 2022.
The retailer aims to decarbonise its own operations and supply chain in Britain over the next year and reduce its operational emissions by 80%, compared to 2019 levels, across all countries it operates in by 2030.
It intends to focus on cutting emissions across its stores and distribution centres, including through the installation of solar panels on all new stores and through continued investment in the latest lighting and refrigeration technologies to improve overall energy efficiency.
Lidl GB has also committed to operating 350 charging points for electric vehicles (EVs) at its stores by 2022, after opening its 100th EV charger earlier this year to support customers' journeys to lower their carbon footprint.
To tackle Scope 3 emissions, which represent more than 98% of all its emissions, Lidl suppliers will be required to commit to their own climate protection targets by 2026.
This will be delivered through a supplier engagement and learning programme across the group, including supporting farmers on Lidl GB's Grassroots programme to develop carbon reduction plans.
Christian Härtnagel, CEO at Lidl GB said: “With the UK hosting COP26 in November, this is a crucial year in the fight against climate change and we recognise our responsibility to reduce our emissions to help tackle this important issue. As part of the Schwarz Group, Lidl has a presence in 32 countries around the world and more than 310,000 employees globally. We’re therefore one of Europe’s largest retail businesses and through these ambitious targets we hope to make a significant contribution by not only rapidly decarbonising our own operations but also supporting our suppliers to do the same.
“As a discounter, it is ingrained in us to be constantly looking to maximise efficiency and reduce waste. Whether it’s how we heat and light our stores or how we transport food from our suppliers to our warehouses, we are continuing to find ways to cut emissions across our business.”
