Lidl commits itself to achieve net zero across all business units and supply chain by 2050

Lidl, one of Europe’s largest food retailers, is committed to net zero by 2050 across all business units and supply chains.

This means that the company will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions as close to zero as possible by 2050. The target includes emissions in Scope 3, which refers to Lidl’s upstream and downstream value chain, where more than 90 per cent of the company’s total emissions are generated.

By 2034, the company aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture, forestry and other land use by 42.4 per cent. Lidl is also committed to reducing 35 per cent of its emissions in the energy and industry sector over the same period. To this end, Lidl will be working more closely with its partners and suppliers in future.

The company has committed its largest suppliers, who are responsible for 75 percent of product-related Scope 3 emissions, to reduction targets by 2026 in accordance with the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).

The SBTi is a global initiative that supports companies in setting science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the latest climate science. Lidl supports and enables its suppliers to achieve these targets through appropriate measures.

Lidl Malta Director Owen Micallef remarked that so far, Lidl has already made significant progress in climate protection.

“Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. With ambitious goals and determined action, we at Lidl are taking on this task and doing our part to be part of the solution,” he added.

To date, Lidl has already saved 52 percent of its operational CO2 emissions (Scope 1 and 2). In particular, the use of renewable energies has contributed to this figure. Since 1st March 2022, Lidl has been using 100 per cent green electricity in all stores, logistics centres and office buildings.

Lidl has formulated its own climate strategy with additional climate targets as part of the Schwarz Group of companies’ climate strategy and they are based on the scientific methods of the SBTi.

The group joined the initiative back in August 2020 to help meet the 1.5-degree target of the Paris Climate Agreement.

 Other measures that have been implemented by Lidle include that:  

• It does not sell fruit and vegetables that have been shipped by air.

• It does not adjust its Vemondo range prices for plant-based alternative products to the prices for animal-based products.

• Its internal sustainability initiative called ‘YOU’.