Reducing the emissions of our products
As a retailer, we take our responsibility seriously to systematically reduce the climate impact across our entire value chain – from the supplier to the customer. For years, we have been focusing on the emissions over which we have direct control (Scope 1 and 2). The biggest challenge lies within our value chain (Scope 3). Through active dialogue with partners and customers, we aim to play our part in the chain to reduce emissions.
Why does Colruyt Group focus on the emissions from the products it sells?
Of our total ecological footprint, our product range has the greatest impact. To effectively combat global warming, we must therefore focus on the entire life cycle of the products on our shelves.
How do we reduce the emissions from our product range?
We are introducing new products with a lower environmental impact or adapting existing items. This includes changes to product composition, such as our range of plant-enriched meat, more sustainable packaging or adjusted portion sizes.
Through the handy Green Score and our sustainability loyalty programme, we are encouraging a change in consumer behaviour. By shifting sales from products with high emissions to alternatives with lower emissions, we are making a significant impact together with our customers.
We look for sourcing options with the lowest possible climate impact. We do this by establishing collaborations with our business partners and setting out explicit product criteria for each category, for both our own-brand and national brands.
Our procurement department actively puts climate targets on the agenda. We ask suppliers to set SBTi-validated targets and explore ways to improve data exchange at product level and standardisation within the sector.
How do we monitor the reduced emissions of our product range?
We measure our progress using two methods:
Where do we stand today?
Colruyt Group has had its targets officially validated by the SBTi, confirming that our ambitions are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.
We also provide deforestation-free products
The destruction of scarce ecosystems is one of the biggest causes of biodiversity loss. In addition, global deforestation has a direct negative impact on climate change and the availability of products from certain regions. By 2030, we will fight deforestation and land-use conversion for products from high-risk chains.
