Credit: Aldi UK
Global supermarket giant secures SBTi validation for interim and long-term goals as it looks to slash its operational and value chain emissions
Aldi has set its sights on achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions across its entire business and wider value chain by 2050, after confirming today that its interim and longer-term emissions goals have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
The approval makes the global supermarket chain one of the first in its sector to secure SBTi validation for its 2050 net zero targets and should provide a boost to its wide-ranging plans to roll out decarbonisation measures across its business and supply chain.
The approved targets include a 2030 goal for the Aldi South Group to reduce its absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 52 per cent, before achieving a 90 per cent reduction by 2035, both against a 2021 baseline year.
At the same time it is targeting a 25 per cent reduction in its Scope 3 value chain emissions by 2030 from 2022 levels, as part of an effort to reach net zero value chain emissions worldwide by 2050.
Moreover, Aldi today unveiled fresh targets to reduce its forest, land, and agriculture-related (FLAG) emissions by 30 per cent the end of the current decade, before achieving a 72 per cent reduction by 2050.
The target comes in addition to a new pledge to achieve zero deforestation across its deforestation-linked commodities by the end of next year.
In order to tackle emissions within its own operations, the retail giant said it would focus on bolstering its energy efficiency and CO2 reduction programmes, targeting major sources across its business such as electricity, refrigeration, heating, and logistics.
For its wider supply chain targets, meanwhile, Aldi said it would seek to introduce a series of measures to lower emissions from its sold merchandise products, which it said accounted for the vast majority of its emissions worldwide.
"We are always looking for new ways to minimise our carbon footprint and these revised targets show just how seriously we take our commitment to operating sustainably here in the UK and internationally," said Aldi UK's national sustainability director Liz Fox. "We know that our scale, internationally, means we can deliver significant change. We have made strong progress in addressing our operational greenhouse gas emissions over recent years, but we want to build on these foundations, working right along the supply chain to make a real difference.
"We are putting sustainability at the heart of everything we do. It matters to us, and we know it matters to our customers.
In related news, rival supermarket giant Sainsbury's today announced a series of changes to its fresh baked goods packaging in a bid to cut out an estimated 560 tonnes of plastic a year.
Having previously been sold in card boxes and bags with transparent plastic windows, the retailer's baked-in-store doughnuts and pastries are switching to entirely cardboard and paper packing, in a move it said would reduce plastic packaging by 414 tonnes annually nationwide.
Meanwhile, the firm's in-store bakery bread is set to see a 60 per cent reduction in plastic thanks to the replacement of full plastic bags for loaves, baguettes and batons with recyclable paper bags with plastic windows, which it said would save 152 tonnes of plastic a year. Sainsbury's stressed that remaining plastic windows on some of its packaging could be "easily separated" from paper and card for household recycling systems.
The changes are expected to be rolled out across the supermarket's stores nationwide over the coming months.
It follows the recent launch of Sainsbury's 'Good to Know' logo, which is designed to help customers identify products that are more sustainable, such as those with reduced plastic packaging.
The firm said the new logo was designed to help "raise awareness and make it easier for customers to understand Sainsbury's work to support sustainability, animal welfare and communities".
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