Supermarkets still fail to reduce emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions from supermarkets show no signs of going down. In fact, some chains are seeing an increase. Meanwhile, climate targets are approaching fast and pressure continues to mount.

Emissions remain stuck at the same level

According to the latest Superlijst Groen, the six largest supermarket chains show no real signs of reduction. Some are even moving in the wrong direction. Lidl tops the list; Dirk ranks lowest. At the same time, sales of both animal-based and organic products remain largely unchanged, despite earlier commitments made by supermarkets.

This research was carried out by Questionmark, in collaboration with Milieudefensie and Mighty Earth, and supported by the Dutch Vegetarian Society. Charlotte Linnebank, director at Questionmark, is clear about what’s going wrong: “Effective climate and nature policies require translating plans into concrete action. That’s where it stalls — and why we’re not yet seeing a meaningful drop in emissions.”

Plans exist, but major differences persist

On paper, the gaps between supermarkets are becoming more visible. Lidl and Albert Heijn now have roadmaps outlining steps to reduce emissions. Jumbo and Plus are falling behind. Aldi and Dirk trail further still.

Meanwhile, supermarkets are rolling out isolated initiatives. Jumbo has stopped offering temporary meat promotions. Albert Heijn, Dirk, Jumbo and Lidl now offer hybrid products, combining animal and plant-based proteins. Plus focuses on organic by switching all bulk packs of potatoes to organic. Still, according to Milieudefensie director Donald Pols, progress is too slow. He points to Albert Heijn’s 17 percent emissions increase since 2018. “Supermarkets’ climate plans seem to exist mostly on paper,” he says.

Risk of broken promises

Another concern: soy and palm oil. Supermarkets promised to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains by 2025. But according to Jurjen de Waal of Mighty Earth, the sustainability certifications supermarkets rely on offer no firm guarantee. With the EU Deforestation Regulation now facing possible delays or weakening, uncertainty is only growing.

Thequestionmark.org