Climate change concerns everyone, so doing our part to protect the climate is a matter of course to us. Our goal: we aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at ALDI North by 40 per cent by 2021 compared to 2015 levels. To make this a reality, we are taking climate action in all relevant areas. A great deal is happening at our stores, because they are where we will be able to save the most CO2.
Anyone who walks into one of our updated stores will immediately notice many changes: the bigger selection, windows that extend to the ground, fresh colours and wider aisles, just to name a few. What may not be evident at first glance are the numerous new features designed to protect the climate with the help of modern technology.
Perhaps you have already noticed how bright and inviting the atmosphere is inside the renovated stores. The large windows let in plenty of daylight. As a result, the stores require less artificial lighting during the day, which is a clear benefit in terms of saving energy. Of course, we cannot do without lights entirely. Since 2016, we have only been installing LED lighting technology in all new or updated stores. Such technology uses up to 50 per cent less electricity than our previous lighting system. LED also provides excellent lighting and the best overview in chiller cabinets and freezers. The technology offers another benefit as well: as LEDs generate less heat than other types of lighting, less electricity is needed for cooling purposes.
Speaking of cooling, it is necessary to refrigerate or freeze yoghurt, pizza and fish fingers so that they stay nice and fresh. This takes a lot of electricity. We therefore now use only highly energy-efficient freezers at our new stores, and we are focusing increasingly on particularly clever systems when it comes to chillers. They provide efficient cooling and can also recover the heat produced in the refrigeration process. We then use this to heat the store – a practical solution that saves energy as well. Refrigerants are also a priority for us. While indispensable for cooling, refrigerants can escape into the atmosphere through small leaks where – depending on the refrigerant – they prove harmful to the climate in varying degrees. Based on the current state of the art, it is unfortunately not possible to prevent such leaks entirely. We employ digital leakage monitoring in some countries to document refrigerant usage, which helps us to reduce the number of leaks to a minimum. We also use the natural, climate-friendly refrigerant propane (R290) for our new freezers, while plans call, wherever possible, for the exclusive use in future of CO2 as a natural refrigerant for chillers in our new stores.
The lights in the parking lots and outdoor areas of the new stores also employ LED technology. In addition, a close look will reveal the sun glinting suspiciously off the roof, which is due to the photovoltaic systems already in operation on top of many stores for generating electricity. In 2017, we already managed to produce some 23,000 MWh of electricity with the solar installations on the roofs of our stores – this is about as much power used by almost 5,750 single-family households in a year. We currently use approximately 70 per cent of the generated electricity ourselves; the remainder is fed into the power grid. We plan to increase the amount of energy for own use, which is why we are pilot testing the use of innovative storage technology that would enable us to use the generated electricity at a later time. Overall, we still have big intentions for solar energy, with plans for 120 new systems in France alone. We also seek to install around 5,000 kWp (kilowatt peak) in additional system capacity in Portugal by 2021, which is the equivalent of more than 50 new systems. Plans call for an additional 18 systems in Belgium in 2018/19.
All of the climate protection measures at our stores are building blocks of our comprehensive climate strategy. Not only have we set ourselves a clear climate target (40 per cent less CO2 by 2021 compared to 2015 levels), but we have also created a specific road map for achieving our goals. Click on the diagram to reveal where CO2 emissions are generated in our business areas – and what steps we are taking to reduce them.
The operation of stores accounts for the largest share of our greenhouse gas emissions. Depending on its size and equipment, one store consumes approximately 150 to 250 MWh of electricity per year. This equates to the energy consumption of around 40 to 60 averagesingle-family households. Our greatest leverage for achieving greater energy efficiency comes down to refrigeration and lighting.
Refrigerants can escape into the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. Based on the current state of the art, it is not possible to prevent such leaks entirely. We use a digital system to reduce them to a minimum. At the same time, we have begun to increasingly replace the refrigerants used to date with climate-friendlier alternatives, such as the natural refrigerantpropane (R290) and CO2.
Lighting is responsible for a significant portion (up to 50 per cent) of the electricity consumed at the distribution centres. LED technology therefore harbours major savings potential here. We are also evaluating the use of needs-based lighting for most distribution centres. Motion detectors make it possible to fully illuminate only those storage areas where work is being performed. Alongside motion detectors, we are also installing light sensors in Germany. They reduce artificial lighting based on the amount of incident daylight, which saves additional electricity.
Our goods have to be transported from our distribution centres to the stores. We largely carryout such transport ourselves. The majority of logistics-related greenhouse gas emissions are due to the diesel consumed by trucks that supply the stores. With regard to logistics, it is still economically difficult to replace diesel with a climate-friendlier drive type. In Germany, we examined the use of alternative power units in 2017.
Read our Climate Protection Policy for more information about our climate target and measures.
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People from 117 nations work in the nine European countries in which we are represented. This diversity is a part of the ALDI North Group. It enriches our working relationships and reflects the diversity of our customers.
We align our actions with our core values: simplicity, responsibility and reliability. These values also express the way the ALDI North Group sees and approaches compliance.
We take responsibility for safe and fair working conditions and compliance with environmental standards wherever we can make a difference
Being an ALDI employee above all means embracing our shared values: simplicity, responsibility and reliability. That is what we stand for in all we do, wherever we are located.
The trust of our customers is our most valuable asset. That is why we listen carefully to what they want. For more than 100 years, we have consistently and systematically tailored our products and services towards the demands of our customers.
Taking responsibility for the health and safety of employees in the workplace is part of the ethos of the ALDI North Group companies
We know that there is still a lot to do when it comes to animal welfare, but we are on the right track, as confirmed by two recent publications on commitment to animal welfare in the food industry
The roughly 69,000 ALDI employees make a decisive contribution to the sustained success of the ALDI North Group. All of them can be proud to work for the ALDI North Group. In exchange, they receive secure working conditions, attractive framework conditions and long-term career development prospects
We take responsibility for the protection of our environment and its natural resources. As a retailer, reducing waste and dedicating ourselves to fighting food losses play a central role.
