REWE Group Austria's sustainability report for 2022 shows a positive development, despite economic challenges such as inflation and the associated enormous increases in energy costs.
REWE Group Austria presented its Sustainability Report for the year 2022 on 10 August 2023. The careful use of resources and the contribution to the social goals of the United Nations have been at the centre of REWE Group Austria's corporate philosophy for many years and are reflected in ongoing investments in efficiency measures. The central goal of the sustainability strategy is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one third by 2030.
The presentation of the sustainability report provided an insight into the highlights and challenges in REWE Group's four defined sustainability pillars: 1) Green products, 2) Energy, climate and environment, 3) Employees and 4) Social commitment. Just as overall responsibility for Sustainability has rested with the Management Board since the launch of the sustainability strategy, representatives of the top management of BILLA, BIPA and PENNY, including BILLA Management Board members Robert Nagele and Erich Szuchy, BIPA Managing Director Andreas Persigehl and PENNY Managing Director Mike Podobrin, presented current developments and provided insights into REWE's comprehensive sustainability initiatives.
Gudrun Meierschitz was invited to provide an external perspective on the topic. She is a board member of Acredia Versicherung AG, an economist and risk expert. She knows from experience how to deal with uncertainties and crises. "Entrepreneurial courage as well as ecological and social responsibility are important success factors," she explained in her keynote speech.
Pioneer in sustainable energy generation and climate protection
REWE Group in Austria attaches great importance to utilising existing structures in a climate-efficient manner. Every time a store is remodelled, energy efficiency measures are examined and, where technically possible, heat recovery systems are implemented, for example, whereby the waste heat from the refrigeration systems is used to heat the stores. In addition, all BILLA stores, warehouses and offices have been using 100 per cent certified green electricity from renewable sources such as wind energy, hydropower and photovoltaics since 2008. The installation of around 130 photovoltaic systems on the sites contributes to the sustainable power supply for stores and regions. Innovative concepts such as car parks with PV system roofs are also already in use in Lower Austria. A further 23 systems are about to be commissioned.
Green stores have a positive effect on the well-being of customers and employees as well as on the preservation of biodiversity. rEWE Group Austria / Roman Königshofer
Sustainability in the product range: animal welfare, organic and regionality defy the crises
Despite economic challenges such as inflation and the associated enormous increases in energy costs, REWE Group Austria was able to further develop and consolidate its sustainability agenda. "We want to ensure that our customers continue to have access to a high-quality and sustainable product range in the future. With the 'ECHT BIO!' brand at PENNY and 'BILLA Bio', we offer affordable organic products for consumers with a lower budget. In 2022, we expanded our organic range by around six per cent and are continuing to work on offering a constantly growing selection of sustainable products," says Marcel Haraszti, Management Board member at REWE International AG. Since February 2022, the drugstore chain BIPA has been working with Greenpeace to provide better orientation in the jungle of quality labels. Sustainable products are labelled accordingly in all of BIPA's 600 or so shops throughout Austria.
BILLA Pflanzilla only sells vegan products. © BILLA / Robert Harson
Further steps have also been taken in the area of animal welfare: All BILLA and BILLA PLUS stores with a fresh meat counter now only offer beef, pork and chicken products in "animal welfare" quality. In addition to conventional products from the "Fair zum Tier" programme, customers can also choose from a wide range of "Ja! Natürlich" products, which stand for the highest organic quality from Austria. For customers who opt for meat-free products, the first vegan supermarket in Austria, BILLA Pflanzilla, opened on Mariahilfer Straße in September 2022, offering an exclusively plant-based range with over 2,500 plant-based products. PENNY also launched its own vegan brand "Food For Future" with 33 products in March last year.
For a sustainable future: 40 green BILLA stores by 2024
REWE Group Austria is committed to protecting nature and the climate. This is reflected not only in the BILLA foundation "Blühendes Österreich" (Blooming Austria) but also in the construction and operation of stores. By 2024, a total of 40 BILLA stores will be certified according to the GREENPASS standard for climate-friendly construction. "Green stores are an important measure for active climate and nature conservation and have a positive effect on the well-being of customers and employees as well as on the preservation of biodiversity," says Robert Nagele, BILLA Management Board member responsible for real estate. Greening measures reduce air pollution, noise and dust pollution as well as CO2 emissions and also enable savings in energy and costs for cooling buildings. Depending on the location, the green stores are designed with shade trees, hedges, green roofs and façades, near-natural flowering meadows and unsealed car parks.
Sustainability together
REWE Group in Austria is reaffirming its commitment to sustainable business practices, environmental protection and the Sustainable Development Goals. The Sustainability Report 2022 and the planned measures emphasise the company's clear commitment to a climate-friendly future.
