Aldi has become the latest supermarket to join WWF’s Retailers’ Commitment for Nature Group, committing to an overall ambition of halving the environmental impact of UK shopping baskets by 2030.
The discount grocer joins existing members Co-op, Lidl, M&S, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose, with the group’s expansion meaning over 70% of the UK grocery retail market is now aligned to WWF’s goal.
Aldi UK CEO Giles Hurley said: “We recognise that the food and drink sector has a huge part to play when it comes to taking steps to positively impact the environment.
“We’ve already made great strides in this space, but working collaboratively is crucial, which is why we’re pledging to join WWF in its efforts.”
It comes as WWF chief executive Tanya Steele has said “time is running out to fix the fragile food system” which drives 30% of climate emissions and 60% of biodiversity loss.
Its latest report, What’s in Store for the Planet 2023, reveals that there are substantial gaps that supermarkets need to close to meet the 2030 target across areas including climate emissions, agriculture, diets, deforestation and conversion, marine, food waste, and packaging.
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While there has been progress tackling deforestation and conversion, with 76% of palm oil in retailer supply chains reported to be RSPO certified, WWF said this has not been matched in soy supply chains, with just 5% of soy verified to be deforestation and conversion free.
On climate action, most retailers reported reductions in the direct emissions associated with their operations (scope one and two GHG emissions), however overall progress on scope three emissions is unclear and has increased for some retailers.
These emissions from retailer supply chains and the food they sell account for over 95% of total supermarket emissions.
Steele said: “The clock is ticking for people and planet but, within the food retail sector, the appetite is growing for action to shift our food system onto a sustainable footing. We urge all UK retailers to step up to this commitment and work with businesses across their supply chains to accelerate action.”
As well as calling on retailers for action, WWF is urging the government to implement regulations to eliminate deforestation and conversion from UK supply chains.
Steele added: “Retailers cannot do this alone: the UK government must get on board, starting by urgently implementing long overdue regulations to meet its high-profile COP26 promise to eliminate deforestation and conversion from UK supply chains and support WWF’s mission to bring our world back to life.”
