Lidl's climate target piles pressure on Rewe

Lidl’s scope 3 emissions target, backed by a modest shift in protein diversification, has left Rewe with work to do in the race to reduce emissions among German food retailers.

Lidl announced its target to reduce emissions from the products it sells (known as scope 3 emissions) in its recent sustainability report. The target was sorely needed, as its supply chain accounts for 99.65% of the grocer’s total emissions. Meat and dairy are responsible for over two-thirds of all food-related greenhouse gas emissions in Germany.

The target is roughly in line with that of the German Rewe Group, which was the first German retailer to announce a scope 3 target last year in July. However, we have highlighted a clear difference in the retailers’ approaches, which leaves Rewe playing catch-up. 

No scope 3 reductions without protein diversification

Lidl clearly states that meat and dairy play an outstanding role in its scope 3 emissions. The supermarkets cannot tackle scope 3 without tackling emissions from meat and dairy in their supply chains and only Lidl has made the necessary moves: clear commitments to diversify its protein offering.

“Lidl is now the front-runner on both fronts: Their commitment to shifting sales to more plant-based protein is essential to meet their scope 3 emissions targets, and their focus on the Planetary Health Diet is positive. 

“At the moment, Rewe’s approach is as much use as a sat nav that tells you the destination but not the directions.”

Progress on selling more plants and less meat but...

We’ve seen some movement in the shift of meat and dairy to plants in the protein mix but Lidl could go a lot faster. At the moment, they are walking, rather than running towards their destination.

In the space of a year Lidl has managed to push the share of its plant-based meat foods to 11.8% from 11.1% and its share of plant-based dairy to 6.6% from 6.1% . Last year, the company committed to doubling the share of plant-based meat and dairy by 2030 as a key measure to bring their protein offering in line with human and planetary health goals.

Lidl has used several measures to make access to healthy and sustainable proteins easier. Prices of plant-based products have been lowered to match their animal-based counterparts and plant-based products have been positioned next to their animal-derived counterparts on the shelves.

Crucial few months for protein diversification

Time is running out for German food retail. The SBTi has set a deadline for the end of this year to validate scope 3 emission targets. It’s a matter of weeks until all retailers should have such targets in place - and thereby also owe consumers an answer on how to actually reach those targets.

Madre Brava will publish a report on how food retailers can best achieve these targets. The protein landscape in Germany's supermarkets could soon be much healthier and more sustainable.

All eyes are on Rewe at the moment. A target without a plan is not really a target. We would urge the retailer to publish protein diversification plans and targets. Without them, there is no hope of achieving the reduction in emissions aimed for.

Madre Brava is part of a coalition producing the Superlist - an assessment of German supermarkets’ sustainability and environmental progress, including protein diversification, due out in spring 2025.