Retail & E-Commerce

Report: Which European Supermarket Chains Will Be the First to Meet Planetary Health Goals?

Global environmental advocacy organisation Madre Brava has assessed the climate and protein transition ambitions of Europe’s 15 largest supermarket chains to determine which will be the first to meet human and planetary health goals.

The report finds that all the retailers have set targets to reduce the emissions of their food products, or plan to do so by the end of the year. However, Ahold Delhaize and Lidl currently take the lead.

Lidl has committed to increasing plant-based protein sales and decreasing meat and dairy sales in six European countries — Austria, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. The retailer will also reportedly improve the ratio of plant to animal proteins sold in all 31 countries where it operates.

Meanwhile, Ahold Delhaize told Madre Brava that all its food retail brands Europe-wide will set targets to sell more plant proteins and fewer animal foods by the end of 2024. Dutch chain Albert Heijn is owned by Ahold Delhaize and has announced plans to sell 60% plant-based proteins by 2030; in a recent sustainability report, the retailer revealed that 44.1% of the proteins it sold in 2023 were plant-based, up from 42.6% in 2022.

©Albert Heijn

Rebalancing protein sales

According to the report, food is the second-largest source of emissions worldwide after fossil fuels, and accounts for 38% of EU emissions. 93% of a supermarket’s emissions are Scope 3 (meaning they originate from the products sold), and meat and dairy alone account for 51% of Scope 3 emissions. As a result, it is vital for supermarkets to consider the protein transition in order to meet their sustainability goals.

A growing number of retailers Europe-wide are reducing the prices of plant-based foods to achieve parity with animal products, which has helped to boost sales. In the Netherlands, 11 supermarket chains have committed to selling 60% plant-based proteins by 2030, and the country has seen a 16.4% decrease in meat sales since 2020. French retailer Carrefour told Madre Brava that “a shift from animal proteins to vegetal proteins will be necessary to achieve our Scope 3 [emissions] targets”.

However, the report finds that ten of the top 15 supermarket chains are not doing enough to address meat and dairy emissions. A study commissioned by Madre Brava last year found that if four major chains (Ahold Delhaize, Carrefour, Lidl, and Tesco) replaced 50% of beef, pork, and chicken sales with plant-based proteins by 2030 then the emissions saved would be equivalent to taking 22 million cars off the road.

“Consumers across Europe want to cut down on meat,” said Nico Muzi, managing director of Madre Brava. “Supermarkets can support this shift to healthier, more sustainable diets by making wholefoods and plant-based products cheaper and more accessible. So, we call on all major European food retailers to commit to rebalancing their protein product sales in line with human and planetary health goals. This is not only good for people, animals, and planet; it’s good business too.”

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