November 1, 2023 – ‘Sustainability’, ‘climate’, ‘scope 1,2,3’, 'net-zero', ‘CO2 emissions’, ‘decarbonization’: the climate crisis debate is charged with terminology that might make the topic complex to understand. And with several experts and organizations each communicating their own interpretations and opinions, it may be difficult to follow and figure out what it all means. Therefore, we are sharing insight into what Ahold Delhaize's climate ambitions encompass.
1. Ahold Delhaize's climate plan commits to 1.5 degrees
In line with the latest climate science to limit global warming, we have established short-term (interim) and long-term (net-zero) climate targets across our own operations (scope 1 and 2) and across our value chain (scope 3) which are in line with a pathway limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C.
2. Ahold Delhaize's climate targets are based on science
Our climate targets are the result of in-depth, long-term projects together with external expert parties to help us identify what our goals should be to reach net-zero on time.
For this, we used the method of the Science Based Targets initiative, which interprets the requirements of the Paris Agreement and makes it relevant for business.
Ahold Delhaize is proud to have committed to Science Based Targets for all three scopes. This makes us a leader in our industry, and we are happy to see this confirmed by external benchmarks that track industry performance such as the MSCI Sustainability Index.
3. Ahold Delhaize's biggest challenge – and work – is in our supply chain
We do not only need to remove the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from our own operations, but also those in our supply chain. This includes the emissions that arise from growing raw ingredients, the production of products and their associated transportation.
Our brands across Europe and the United States have hundreds of thousands of products on their shelves which are supplied by more than 10,000 suppliers. All of these suppliers source materials and ingredients from their own supply chains, resulting in complex supply chains covering all areas of the world.
As a result, we all need to work together to move towards a more healthy and sustainable food system. To be able to change the system we also need governments to set level playing fields, reporting standards that help stakeholders assess disclosures by corporates in a standardized manner and enhance data availability, and consumers to help drive necessary change by the purchasing choices they make (e.g. plant-based protein causing less emissions).
Here are the details
- For our own operations (scope 1 and 2), we are committed to becoming net-zero by 2040 with an interim target of a 50% reduction by 2030.
- Ahold Delhaize is committed to an interim CO2 emissions reduction target for its entire value chain (scope 3) of at least 37% by 2030 with a 2020 baseline.
- Ahold Delhaize is committed to becoming net-zero across its entire value chain by 2050.
More information about our Climate Plan can be found here.
And full disclosure on Sustainability/ESG measures can be found in our 2022 Annual Report from page 101.
