Aldi encourages suppliers to reduce carbon footprint

Aldi calls on its suppliers to reduce their carbon footprint. Aldi Nord has published its third sustainability report, and raised its climate targets at the same time.

Science based targets

Aldi Nord (which comprises Belgium, Denmark, France, the northern part of Germany, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, and Trader Joe’s in the United States) has joined the international Science Based Targets Initiative, which aims to keep the worldwide temperature rise below 2 degrees as agreed at the Paris Climate Conference in 2015. The retailer promises to reduce its carbon emissions by 40 % by next year.

Aldi has been investing in sustainable stores for years, making sure there are solar panels on the roofs, lighting is energy efficient, and so on. However, it now says 95 % of total retail emissions happen outside of the stores, causing it to ask its suppliers to do their share in the struggle.

In Belgium, the discounter has singled out 145 suppliers, that cause the majority of its carbon emissions. “In a first phase, we are going to define efficiency measures – optimising logistics, reducing waste, recycling packaging and so on”, says Stefaan De Schepper, responsible for CSR at Aldi Belgium. Afterwards, Aldi will support the suppliers to actually reach the set targets.