“Be part of our sustainable future”: The companies of Schwarz Group describe their progress in a joint sustainability report

In their sustainability report, which was released today, the companies of Schwarz Group show how they assume economic, ecological, and social responsibility in their day-to-day activities. Under the motto “Be part of our sustainable future,” they emphasize that joint, decisive action is a must. By describing their commitment in the 2020 and 2021 fiscal years, the Schwarz Dienstleistungsgesellschaften, as well as the divisions Lidl, Kaufland, Schwarz Produktion, and PreZero, demonstrate their close collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders from the worlds of business and science using numerous examples.

“There is only one earth – and we would like to preserve and protect it for future generations. At the same time, global challenges are becoming increasingly complex, and we are called to address them resolutely. For this reason, the companies of Schwarz Group have set ambitious targets, which we are determined to pursue together,” explains Florian Schütze, Vice President for Corporate Responsibility (CR) at Schwarz Corporate Communications.

As part of their joint sustainability strategy, the divisions of Schwarz Group are primarily concentrating on the following four key topics: People, Product quality, Circulatory systems, and Ecosystems.

Selected success stories to date

Our focus on People:

The retail division Lidl serves as an example for our commitment to fair trade and living wages with its “Way to Go” chocolate. Under the umbrella of this project, which was initiated by Lidl, certified fair trade chocolate bars with cocoa from Ghana were added to the assortment in the spring of 2020.

Our focus on Product quality:

The sustainable procurement of strategically relevant raw materials is also a top priority. For example, 100 percent of the cocoa used by Schwarz Produktion is certified according to recognized sustainability standards.

Our focus on Circulatory systems:

The companies promote the circular economy model: from completely recyclable products together with retail and waste disposal to sustainable recycling and remanufacturing as new products. For example, the environmental division PreZero established a new standard for developing a sustainable waste management and recycling system together with TÜV SÜD and other experts (DIN SPEC 91436 Zero Waste).

Our focus on Ecosystems:

As part of their joint climate strategy, the divisions obtain all of their electricity from renewable energy sources*. In addition to expanding its in-house power generation by installing photovoltaic systems, the issue of more sustainable mobility is also a high priority for the retail group. In Germany, Kaufland already offers its customers EV charging stations at roughly one fifth of its stores.

Standards and external auditing

The sustainability report was prepared in accordance with the GRI standards (Global Reporting Initiative) and audited by the independent auditing firm KPMG AG. Furthermore, the report illustrates which sustainability measures the companies of Schwarz Group took during the reporting period to contribute to the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact (UNGC).

*Excluding any purchase agreements that the companies of Schwarz Group cannot influence, such as those for individual leased properties with a binding electricity procurement clause. Further information can be found at: www.gruppe.schwarz/en/responsibility/ecosystems.

Additional information

Our digital sustainability report is available here.