NorgesGruppen

Sustainable development strategy
As part of its sustainability strategy, NorgesGruppen has identified three sustainability pillars that cover the environment, nutrition, and social inclusion dimensions. The company sets targets under each of these and reports on progress annually. Moreover, NorgesGruppen discloses its process for identifying its most relevant sustainability topics, which includes engagement with customers and other stakeholders.

Food loss and waste
NorgesGruppen demonstrates that it is measuring food waste across its operations and has set a 2020 target to reduce food waste in stores by 25% against a 2015 baseline. The company reports that it has exceeded this target, achieving a 38% reduction and has set a new target to halve food waste by 2025. There is an opportunity for NorgesGruppen to strengthen its commitment to preventing food loss and waste by demonstrating collaboration with value chain partners on the issue.

Availability of healthy foods
NorgesGruppen demonstrates leading practice in improving the availability of healthy foods. The company has set 2020 targets to increase sales of healthy products, such as fruits, vegetables and wholegrain bread, and decrease sales of salt, sugar and saturated fat by weight. The company reports on progress against these targets annually and has achieved some but not all. NorgesGruppen has an opportunity to set new targets for 2021 and beyond.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the social inclusion measurement area.

Governance and accountability for sustainable development
NorgesGruppen discloses that the board of directors is ultimately responsible for developing the sustainability strategy as well for progress against its goals and targets. The company further has teams and people to facilitate the effective implementation of the strategy. NorgesGruppen has an opportunity to demonstrate that it is linking remuneration for the board of directors or executives to sustainability performance.

Stakeholder engagement
While NorgesGruppen demonstrates that it conducts a customer survey annually and discloses the main issues arising from this, the company has an opportunity to demonstrate that it is engaging with different stakeholder groups and report on the outcomes of these activities.

Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions
NorgesGruppen reports annually on reductions in its scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While the company has set to goal to formulate a scope 1 and 2 GHG reduction target for 2025, no further information was found. In addition, the company has an opportunity to formulate a target to reduce scope 3 GHG emissions.

Protein diversification
NorgesGruppen demonstrates that it is diversifying its protein portfolio through the launch of products with plant-based alternatives for meat, milk and cheese. In addition, it discloses that sales of these products have increased 44% since 2017. To strengthen its commitment, NorgesGruppen could set targets to further increase the sales of alternative proteins and provide reporting against this.

Plastic use and packaging waste
NorgesGruppen provides evidence of activities to reduce plastic use, such as reducing the amount of plastic bags per purchase, and has set a 2020 target to reduce plastic use by 20%. However, the company reports that it has not achieved its 2020 target. Furthermore, the company can increase the clarity of its reporting against the target by reporting on percentage reductions rather than absolute reductions in weight.

Animal welfare
While NorgesGruppen addresses animal welfare in its reporting, no English policy setting out the company’s approach to animal welfare was found.

Accessibility and affordability of healthy foods
Through one of its retailing brands, KIWI, the company demonstrates a commitment to address food insecurity by improving the accessibility and affordability of healthy foods. NorgesGruppen has an opportunity to disclose such a commitment at the group level as well as to develop commercial activities designed to make healthy food more accessible and affordable for vulnerable groups.

Clear and transparent labelling
The company does not disclose that it provides nutritional information through clear, transparent and accurate labelling.

Responsible marketing
The company does not disclose a responsible marketing policy, nor guidelines specific to marketing to children.

Food safety
While NorgesGruppen prescribes some food safety guidelines for its suppliers, it does not disclose evidence of ensuring safe food for consumers through compliance with national regulations or the Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene. In addition, the company does not disclose evidence of certification to food safety certification schemes.

Child labour
While NorgesGruppen commits to prohibiting child labour in its own operations and requires its suppliers to adhere to the same standard, it has an opportunity to disclose a policy requiring its suppliers to have an age-verification system in place.

Forced labour
While the company commits to prohibiting forced labour in its own operations and supply chain, it has an opportunity to disclose a requirement that prohibits its suppliers from restricting workers’ freedom of movement.

Living wage
While NorgesGruppen specifies that wages in should be sufficient to cover fundamental needs, it does not disclose that it pays its workers a living wage or requires its suppliers to do the same. Neither has it set targets to do so in the future.

Farmer and fisher productivity and resilience
NorgesGruppen provides evidence of activities to support the resilience of small-scale producers during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the company has an opportunity to demonstrate that it structurally supports to productivity and resilience of small-scale producers, farmers or fishers, as well as that measures the impact of these activities.

Land rights
While the company commits to respect the legitimate tenure rights related to the ownership and use of land to local communities in its operations, it expresses an expectation for suppliers to adhere to these principles. As such, the company does not demonstrate that it requires suppliers to respect land rights.

NorgesGruppen provides grievance mechanisms for workers and third parties and commits to respect ILO core labour rights its operations and supply chain. However, no sufficient policy commitment to human rights was found and the company does not provide evidence of a human rights due diligence process that includes the identification, assessment and integration of salient human rights risks. Moreover, NorgesGruppen does not demonstrate how it engages with affected and potentially affected stakeholders.

NorgesGruppen commits to respecting the health and safety of its workers and places health and safety expectations on its business relationships. However, it can strengthen its monitoring and quantitative reporting on the issue. Further, there is an opportunity for NorgesGruppen to strengthen its commitment to working hours in its operations and provide more data related to workforce diversity, such as on the age and gender of employees. No commitments to paying a living wage, gender equality and women’s empowerment, and collective bargaining were found.

NorgesGruppen has a policy prohibiting bribery and corruption and includes requirements in its contracts with business relationships but can improve disclosure on its processes to identify bribery and corruption risks and impacts. Although company discloses income tax payments for all its tax jurisdictions, no global tax policy was found in the public domain. Moreover, no commitments on the protection, use and sharing of personal data were found and the company does not provide a policy statement detailing its lobbying and political engagement approach.