Rewe Group

No leading practices were identified for the company in the governance and strategy measurement area.

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

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

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

Sustainable development strategy
While the company has set time-bound targets covering topics within the Food and Agriculture Benchmark’s three dimensions of environment, nutrition and social inclusion, this does not apply across all geographies. Moreover, it has an opportunity to disclose a sustainable development strategy and how it identifies and prioritises the topics where it has the most impact.

Governance and accountability for sustainable development
REWE Group discloses its an overview of its governance framework for the implementation of its sustainable development strategy. The company indicates that the highest governance body communicates with the sustainability organisations twice a year to facilitate communication between the individual business units and has overall responsibility for the implementation of the strategy. However, the company does not disclose that it aligns the highest governance body’s remuneration policy with sustainability performance.

Stakeholder engagement
The company does not disclose stakeholder engagement activities, including how it selects the stakeholders, nor an overview of the topics discussed or their outcomes..

Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions
The company has a target to reduce scope 1 and 2 emission. However, this target only covers its operations in Germany and Austria. Nonetheless, the company reports its reductions regularly, for part of the operations. While the company discloses quantitative evidence to demonstrate that it is reducing its scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions, it has an opportunity to strengthen its commitment by setting targets and reporting against them across the whole group.

Water use
While the company discloses its water consumption it does not demonstrate quantitative reductions in water withdrawals across its own operations.

Food loss and waste
REWE Group provides a commitment to reduce food waste in its operations. The company also provides a target to contribute to the global goal of reducing food waste by 50 per cent by 2030. However, the company does not report the progress against the target yet and has an opportunity to improve by collaborating with value chain partners to prevent food loss and waste.

Availability of healthy foods
REWE Group discloses that since 2018, it has reformulated the recipes of more than 750 products. In addition, almost 400 store brand products have been improved with regard to sugar and salt content. However, the company does not disclose the target for the percentage of healthy food products. Therefore, going forward, the company could improve by setting up the target and report the progress against it.

Accessibility and affordability of healthy foods
REWE Group does not disclose a commitment or activities to improve the accessibility and affordability of healthy foods for vulnerable groups.

Food safety
REWE Group provides that all store brand suppliers in the Food area have to be certified under a standard recognised by the GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative), such as IFS Food or the standard of the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Moreover, it discloses the number of suppliers audited on health and safety for Rewe Group Germany. However, it does not provide evidence that 100% of its own operations are certified to a GFSI-recognised food safety scheme.

Child labour
While the company 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.

Living wage
REWE Group discloses its policy regarding paying a living wage and it shares some activities on this. However, no time-bound target to pay a living wage across all its operations was found in the public domain.

Farmer and fisher productivity and resilience
While the company has a commitment to support the resilience, productivity and access to markets for farmers and small-scale producers, it has an opportunity to disclose evidence of related activities.

Rewe Group discloses statements and commitments across most key topics under respect for human rights, as well as evidence of a due diligence process that includes regular human rights impact assessments and their integration into the company’s policies. However, there is an opportunity for Rewe Group to improve its policies and disclosure on engagement with affected, and potentially affected, stakeholders as well as disclosure on how it integrates and acts on human rights risks and impacts in its operations and supply chain.

Rewe Group has in place policies or commitment on most decent work issues and has started the journey towards ensuring healthy and safe workplaces where workers are fairly renumerated and free from discrimination. However, there is an opportunity for Rewe Group to strengthen its requirements for its supply chain on health and safety as well as living wage. Moreover, Rewe Group does not disclose sufficient commitment on respecting working hours in its operations and supply chain.

Rewe Group discloses policies and statement on anti-bribery and anti-corruption, but there remains an opportunity for these to be strengthened as well as for increased disclosure. In addition, the company does not demonstrate a sufficient commitment to protecting personal data, responsible tax and responsible lobbying and political engagement, where it has an opportunity to provide more disclosure. For example, the company the company could disclose the amount of corporate income tax paid for each tax jurisdiction where the company is a resident for tax purpose.