Strong Commitment to Climate Protection – The Schwarz Group’s climate targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative

Climate change poses enormous challenges for our society and demands action at all levels. In virtue of their group-wide climate strategy, the Schwarz Group supports the Paris Agreement. As such, already in August 2020, the retailer officially joined the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Therefore, the Schwarz Group analyzed its carbon footprint, compiled a complete climate impact assessment, defined climate targets in line with the SBTi climate target methodology and set a variety of measures. These scientifically based targets have now been validated and approved by the SBTi.

With the aim of reducing its operational emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 55 percent by 2030 compared to 2019 levels, the Schwarz Group is making a measurable contribution to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. In order to achieve this, the Schwarz Group intends to obtain 100 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources from 2022 onwards. Already today, the retail group produces its own green electricity, for example, from photovoltaic systems on the roofs of more than 1,300 stores, logistics centers and office buildings worldwide. The retail divisions are going one step further and use carbon offset projects to set their operational emissions (Scope 1 and 2) climate neutral – Lidl as of 2022, Kaufland by 2025 at the latest.

Food production and manufacturing within the upstream value chain are responsible for the majority of the Schwarz Group’s carbon footprint. For this reason, the corporate group would like to provide its suppliers with incentives to reduce emissions themselves, and obligates those suppliers who are responsible for 78 percent of the product-related Scope 3 emissions to set themselves climate targets in accordance with the SBTi criteria by 2026. The Schwarz Group is supporting and accompanying its suppliers in this process.

Further information on the Schwarz Group Sustainability Strategy can be found here responsibility.schwarz.