- The Plan falls in line with METRO GROUP’s own climate action goals for 2030 and with the goals of the Paris Climate Change Conference
- Strong signal for an ambitious and concrete Climate Action Plan that offers sufficient planning security for companies
- Climate action creates jobs and makes companies fit for the future
- 41 companies and associations from industry and trade sign Climate Action Plan Declaration
Düsseldorf, 2016-Nov-08 — /EPR Retail News/ — METRO AG, together with 40 companies and associations from industry and trade, signed a corporate declaration on the draft of the Climate Action Plan 2050 for Germany. With this move, METRO GROUP not only supports the efforts for enhanced energy efficiency in Germany, but also consistently pursues its own commitment to climate protection. According to its climate protection goal for 2030 announced in late 2015, METRO GROUP plans to curb its carbon dioxide output per square meter of sales floor by 50 percent as compared to 2011 by means of company-wide energy efficiency measures, use of natural coolants and in-house production of renewable energy.
“The responsible use of natural resources to protect the climate represents a central element of our sustainability strategy. We are convinced that climate action in addition also creates jobs and enhances the competitiveness and sustainability of companies”, says Heiko Hutmacher, Chief Human Resources Officer of METRO AG and board member responsible for Sustainability. “For us, signing the Climate Action Plan 2050 Declaration is, to some extent, also a confirmation of our own ambitious climate action targets and of our efforts in this field to date”.
METRO GROUP this year again made it to the top rankings for the retail sector of the leading international indices Dow Jones Sustainability World and Europe. Moreover, it is also the sector leader of the “Carbon Disclosure Project 2016 Consumer Goods” in the DACH region. Energy saving investments, especially into modern and highly efficient lighting fixtures, use of daylight and refrigeration units as well as meanwhile more than 100 wholesale stores using CO2 refrigeration technology and the extension of photovoltaic systems on the roofs of wholesale stores in China, Turkey, Germany, Spain and Italy, have contributed to this achievement. In the financial year 2015/16 just ended, METRO was able to launch its first “green cash & carry store” in Dongguan, China. In the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod, the company is operating a combined heat and power plant in cooperation with EON. A few weeks ago, METRO Cash & Carry Germany, Real, Media-Saturn and further METRO GROUP entities, together with Galeria Kaufhof, founded the energy efficiency network “Handel im Wandel” (retail in transition) with the aim of saving 100 gigawatt hours until 2018.
The Climate Action Plan is to give companies a basis for action to become international leaders with sustainable innovations and to thereby optimally use the economic opportunities offered by climate action. METRO AG, together with the supporters and co-signatories of the declaration, states that companies need planning security to be able to move forward in terms of climate action and energy transition. That is why it is important that the Climate Action Plan with its clear climate target is aimed at the upper end of the present target sector of an 80 to 95 per cent reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions until 2050. Moreover, sector targets for 2030 should be specified to allow for the development of concrete decarbonisation plans and new business models. In addition, the declaration stipulates that the Climate Action Plan should draw the pathway to a significantly enhanced energy efficiency and a quick shift towards 100 per cent renewable energy.
The statement endorsed by 41 companies and trade associations will be published on 9 November in view of the planned cabinet resolution on the Climate Action Plan and just ahead of the entry into force of the Paris Agreement on 4 November.
METRO GROUP W&FS Co.
The METRO GROUP Wholesale & Food Specialist Company (W&FS Co.) is an internationally leading specialist in wholesale and food retail. With its sales lines METRO Cash & Carry and Real as well as its other associated companies, METRO GROUP W&FS Co. operates in 35 countries and employs more than 112,000 people around the world. In 2014/15, METRO GROUP W&FS Co. achieved sales of around €37 billion. The company provides custom solutions to meet the regional and international needs of its wholesale and retail customers.
For more information, please visit www.metrogroup.de
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Source: METRO GROUP