11:00, 20 September 2021
Words by Smiley Team, Staff Writer, London
In a positive news for supermarkets, Lidl GB has announced it has set ambitious climate targets, and will become carbon neutral by 2022.
The discounter aims to reduce CO2 emissions from its own operations, aligned to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. By 2030, Lidl internationally aims to reduce its operational emissions by 80% (compared to 2019) across all countries it operates in.
To achieve this, Lidl will focus on cutting carbon emissions across its stores and distribution centres, including through installing solar panels on all new stores, where permissable, and its continued investment in the latest refrigeration and lighting technologies to improve overall energy efficiency.
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The discounter has also committed to operating 350 electric vehicle charging points at its stores by 2022, after it opened its 100th EV charging point earlier this year as part of its commitment to support customers’ journeys to lower their carbon impact.
Christian Härtnagel, CEO at Lidl GB, said: “With the UK hosting COP26 in November, this is a crucial year in the fight against climate change and we recognise our responsibility to reduce our emissions to help tackle this important issue.
"As part of the Schwarz Group, Lidl has a presence in 32 countries around the world and more than 310,000 employees globally. We’re therefore one of Europe’s largest retail businesses and through these ambitious targets we hope to make a significant contribution by not only rapidly decarbonising our own operations but also supporting our suppliers to do the same.
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“As a discounter, it is ingrained in us to be constantly looking to maximise efficiency and reduce waste. Whether it’s how we heat and light our stores, or how we transport food from our suppliers to our warehouses, we are continuing to find ways to cut emissions across our business.”
The move builds on Lidl’s existing partnerships with suppliers to boost sustainability, such as its initiative with Wyke Farms to produce a supermarket-first carbon neutral cheddar. Lidl is also making a leading commitment by banning peat from its compost range from 2022, two years ahead of the UK governments recently announced target, in efforts to support peatland restoration in the UK.
