The ecological, social and economic challenges continued to increase in the 2025 fiscal year. As one of the world's largest retail groups, we, the companies of Schwarz Group, do not relax our responsibility toward society and the environment. On the contrary, we act – and are always one step ahead.
In the seventh Sustainability Report of the companies of Schwarz Group, more than 1,500 key performance indicators substantiate how we further expanded our commitment in the 2025 fiscal year.
Where we, the companies of Schwarz Group, take action and what we have achieved is demonstrated across the areas of climate, circular economy and social responsibility.
Effective climate protection requires a steady course. With a jointly created climate transition plan, the companies of Schwarz Group are shaping the transformation toward achieving the jointly defined net-zero target by 2050* – with a solid basis and deep strategic integration. In doing so, we are continuously reducing our operational emissions and working on the targeted implementation of climate protection measures along the entire value chain.
The key performance indicators from our jointly developed FY 2025 Sustainability Report demonstrate the progress that we, the companies of Schwarz Group, achieved in the 2025 fiscal year.
*By 2050 at the latest, the companies of Schwarz Group will reduce all greenhouse gas emissions caused along the entire value chain to net zero. Unavoidable residual emissions will be neutralized through carbon removal solutions in accordance with the SBTi standard.
For us, the expansion of renewable energies is active climate protection and strategic risk management all in one. We, the companies of Schwarz Group, are therefore systematically driving forward the use and production of solar power. In the 2025 fiscal year, the amount of self-generated solar power from photovoltaic systems increased by 28 percent to more than 473,000 megawatt hours. That is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of more than 136,000 households (assuming an average usage of 3,470 kWh per household).
Furthermore, we have already reduced our own operational emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 44.1 percent compared to 2019. As a result, the jointly defined, near-term climate target for 2030 – a reduction of 48 percent – is already within reach. In this way, we, the companies of Schwarz Group, are making an effective contribution to global climate protection, which is confirmed by the SBTi validation of our climate targets.
To stay on course and approach the path to net-zero by 2050 in a structured manner, we are publishing a jointly developed climate transition plan for the first time, defining the key levers for emission reductions.
A brief outlook:
All information on the topic of climate can be found in the jointly developed fiscal year 2025 Sustainability Report.
To achieve our jointly defined net-zero target by 2050 and secure our respective business models for the long term, we, the companies of Schwarz Group, are placing an increased focus on renewable energies and are working together with our suppliers to reduce emissions across the value chain. To this end, we are pursuing a holistic, jointly developed climate strategy with ambitious interim targets.
The progress made in the 2025 fiscal year substantiates the success of this course: For example, our own operational emissions (Scope 1 and 2) were reduced by 44.1 percent compared to 2019, and the self-generation of solar power was increased by 28 percent. Although emissions generated in the value chain (Scope 3) increased in the 2025 fiscal year due to growth, key milestones are being developed, particularly for product-related emissions, in order to also achieve the set targets for significant emission reductions in this area in the future.
We, the companies of Schwarz Group, are continuously expanding our self-generation of electricity through renewable energies. In the 2025 fiscal year, the amount of self-generated solar power increased by 28 percent to more than 473,000 megawatt hours. This corresponds to the average annual consumption of more than 136,000 households.
Our first-ever jointly created climate transition plan serves us, the companies of Schwarz Group, as a strategic tool to achieve our jointly defined targets and forms the foundation for future-proofing business processes. It defines the key levers for emission reduction on the path to the jointly defined net-zero target by 2050.
We, the companies of Schwarz Group, are jointly pursuing a net-zero target by 2050 that has been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Key levers for achieving this target include, for example, the use and self-generation of renewable energies, the reduction of agricultural emissions, the expansion of the plant-sourced assortment, the minimization of food waste and ensuring deforestation-free supply chains.
Today’s waste is tomorrow’s recyclable material. The goal of our jointly developed REset Resources circular economy strategy is therefore to reuse recyclables, such as plastic, over and over again and to keep them in the loop. To this end, we, the companies of Schwarz Group, have jointly defined five fields of action: REdesign, REduce, REuse, Recollect, REcycle. Accordingly, we, together, have committed ourselves to further targets within the framework of the “Road to Zero Waste” and the reduction of food waste.
In the 2025 fiscal year, we, the companies of Schwarz Group, were again able to achieve several successes on this road. All figures are documented in the jointly created FY 2025 Sustainability Report.
With the 2025 fiscal year, we, the companies of Schwarz Group, have concluded the jointly developed REset Plastic strategy as scheduled and have met or exceeded all jointly defined targets. Compared to 2017, the launch year of the strategy, the use of plastic in private label packaging fell by 35.7 percent, the use of recycled material rose to 26.1 percent and the recyclability of private label plastic packaging increased to 67.3 percent. You can learn more about the jointly created successor strategy, REset Resources, here.
Furthermore, in the 2025 fiscal year, 90.1 percent of operational waste generated in the companies of Schwarz Group was recycled, reused, composted or fermented. In the calculation of this target, the stricter (DIN SPEC 91436) standard is applied, since the companies of Schwarz Group deliberately exclude thermal recovery with energy recovery. Waste generated at our own recovery and disposal facilities, as well as construction waste, is also excluded.
Overview of further progress:
Detailed information on the topic of the circular economy in the 2025 fiscal year is provided in the Fiscal Year 2025 Sustainability Report.
The jointly pursued "REset Plastic" strategy was successfully concluded at the end of 2025 as scheduled. It achieved a plastic reduction of 35.9 percent compared to 2017, a 26.1 percent use of recycled material and a 67.3 percent recyclability rate.
With the jointly developed successor strategy "REset Resources," we, the companies of Schwarz Group, are expanding our recipe for success. The new strategy targets all packaging materials across all divisions by 2030 and consistently continues our commitment to the circular economy.
In the 2025 fiscal year, 90.1 percent of operational waste was recycled, reused, composted or fermented. The goal is to increase this figure to 95 percent by 2030. Pure thermal recovery (incineration) is intentionally excluded from this. Waste generated at our own recovery and disposal facilities, as well as construction waste, is also excluded.
The world is changing. That is precisely why the companies of Schwarz Group strive to offer stability, as reliable partners to suppliers, to society and to a combined total of 604,000 employees worldwide. With more than 9,000 new jobs and around 10,000 students and apprentices, we promote employment, innovation and talent.
The facts and figures from our current jointly created sustainability report show exactly how we brought our social responsibility to life in the 2025 fiscal year.
We, the companies of Schwarz Group, focus on sustainable partnerships and long-term employment relationships.
As reliable employers, we created a combined total of 9,000 new jobs worldwide in the 2025 fiscal year – 5,000 of them in Germany alone. With more than 100 job profiles in areas such as retail, waste management and recycling, production, administration and digitalization, we offer diverse entry-level and career development opportunities to actively shape change together.
More detailed information on the topic of social responsibility in the 2025 fiscal year is available in the current Fiscal Year 2025 Sustainability Report.
The companies of Schwarz Group employ a combined total of around 604,000 people from 174 countries. Our employees are at the center of our success. The focus is consistently on reliable partnerships and long-term employment relationships.
In the 2025 fiscal year, the companies of Schwarz Group created a combined total of 9,000 new jobs worldwide – 5,000 of them in Germany alone. Thus, even in challenging times, the companies of Schwarz Group act as a stable driver of employment.
An investment in training and development is an investment in the future. Across Europe, a combined total of 10,000 people are on apprenticeships and degree programs within the companies of Schwarz Group. The goal is to develop talent at an early stage and facilitate the transition into professional life.
The working world at the companies of Schwarz Group is diverse with more than 100 different job profiles in areas such as retail, waste management and recycling, production, administration and digitalization. This creates diverse entry-level and career development opportunities for a broad spectrum of skill sets.
The Sustainability Report for fiscal year 2025 highlights the measures and targets that have contributed to the jointly developed ESG Strategy of the companies of Schwarz Group.
Through targeted investments in energy and resource sovereignty, we secure the long-term resilience of the supply chain, thus transforming sustainable business into a competitive advantage. This commitment is anchored in our jointly developed CR strategy, which closely aligns environmental, social and corporate governance aspects.
