Lidl NI Commits to Becoming a Carbon Neutral Business by 2025

Announcement Comes as Part of Progress Report for ‘A Better Tomorrow’, Lidl’s Sustainability Strategy

Lidl Northern Ireland has announced its commitment to becoming a carbon neutral business by 2025 and industry leading initiatives including launching a dedicated Supplier Engagement Programme and enabling customers to lower their carbon impact through EV charging points.

The retailer also plans to further progress on its targets by committing to a 46% reduction on its operational emissions by 2030. The announcement comes as part of the retailer’s progress report on their sustainability strategy ‘A Better Tomorrow’.

Driving targets

Lidl is committed to driving those targets through a robust schedule of activities that target their internal operations as well as initiatives that support their network of suppliers and customers to lower their carbon impact. These initiatives will cement Lidl’s position as Ireland’s most sustainable retailer.

Since 2019, Lidl has partnered with The Carbon Trust to embark on a collaborative study measuring the retailer’s carbon footprint and to model in-depth carbon reduction strategies, aligned with the overarching Science Based Target initiative guidelines. The results of the study formed the basis of a national reduction strategy, with specific targets set for Lidl’s operations in Northern Ireland as outlined in Lidl’s newly updated Sustainability Strategy progress report.

J.P. Scally, CEO Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland said;

“At Lidl we believe it is our responsibility to not only offer the best service for our customers, suppliers and communities but to protect the environment and build a successful, sustainable future. We take our role in society seriously and continuously strive to go above and beyond to make a positive difference for our customers, communities, and the environment, working to bring about real change through innovation, investment, and active leadership.

There has been a notable increase in awareness and understanding for sustainability, from sustainable living to responsible business practices and the importance of supporting local. I am hopeful this global transition will continue to drive ambitious results towards protecting our planet and securing a bright, sustainable future for upcoming generations. At Lidl, we will continue to contribute to this global ambition through our A Better Tomorrow strategy. We are proud of the progress we have achieved that is outlined in this report and look forward building on that progress in the years to come.”

Key initiatives

Key initiatives outlined within the report include a focus on further reducing plastic use and packaging waste, with Lidl Northern Ireland committing to 100% of all own-brand packaging being widely recyclable, reusable or renewable by 2025. Additionally, 50% of the materials used in own-brand packaging will come from recycled materials.

Lidl Northern Ireland is also in progress to develop a dedicated ‘Supplier Engagement Programme’, the first of its kind in the retail industry, which sees collaboration with its key suppliers to develop CSR and Sustainability projects to improve the supplier’s environmental impact and in turn, help them to grow their future business sustainably. The five-year collaborative programme aims to develop long term plans with suppliers to address carbon emissions reduction but also packaging reduction and circularity amongst other areas.

Having already made the switch to purchasing 100% green energy in 2018, Lidl is committed to retrofitting solar panelling across its entire store network by at least 15 stores a year across the island of Ireland. Lidl currently have 74 dedicated customer charging points across its store network, the most of any retailer on the island, and is committed to increasing this number over the coming years.

Positive impact

Lidl Northern Ireland continues to strive to have a positive impact on the communities in which it operates by working with charity partner NSPCC Northern Ireland. Now in its fourth year, the partnership has delivered fundraising of more than £500,000 for the charity. Lidl Northern Ireland has also launched ground-breaking initiatives including becoming the first retailer locally to combat period poverty by offering free period products to shoppers and becoming the first company in the island of Ireland to offer compassionate leave to employees who have experienced early pregnancy loss and miscarriage.

Owen Keogh, Head of CSR, Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland added:

“A Better Tomorrow is our comprehensive sustainability strategy that targets all functions of our business from sustainable sourcing, packaging and how we approach construction, to how we can improve the lives of our colleagues and the communities we operate in. We continue to collaborate with our suppliers and industry experts to ensure we are setting the standard for sustainability in the sector ensuring that our strategy crystalises our commitment to providing a safe and nurturing environment for our colleagues, to contribute positively to our communities and to be exemplary environmental stewards.”