Lidl US Shares 1st Report on Corporate Social Responsibility Efforts

Discount grocer has made strides across several key focus areas

12/1/2023

Lidl US is sharing its corporate social responsibility moves related to the planet, people and its customers.

Lidl US is pulling back the curtain on its corporate social responsibility efforts over the past two years in its inaugural CSR report. The discount retailer shared that its actions in the space are guided by three key themes: Good for our Planet, Good for People and Good for You.

The report highlights Lidl’s progress across six focus areas: Protecting Climate, Respecting Biodiversity, Conserving Resources, Acting Fairly, Promoting Health and Engaging in Dialogue.

“We’re pleased to share our first report that includes our ‘Lidl for a Better Tomorrow’ Sustainability/CSR strategy,” said Lidl US CEO Joel Rampoldt. “Our Lidl team members are focused on driving positive impact in both our operations and in the neighborhoods we serve. Our strategy includes working to provide solutions to environmental and social issues that matter most to our team members, communities and other valued stakeholders – today, tomorrow and in our future.”

Regarding sustainability efforts aimed at protecting the planet, Lidl reported that it reduced Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse-gas emissions by 63% by the end of 2022 as it works toward a 70% reduction by 2030. The company has also procured 100% renewable energy since 2022 for its overall electricity use through the purchase of renewable-energy certificates.

Additionally, Lidl opened its first store in Washington, D.C., in 2022, which was also its first location to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification. The retailer is additionally making strides in the areas of transportation efficiencies, operational energy efficiencies, food waste reduction, protecting environmental biodiversity, and more.

Lidl supported its communities through the donation of more than 3 million pounds of food to Feeding America via monthly donations from its stores and regional distribution centers throughout 2021 and 2022. The grocer has also provided more than 1 million training hours to elevate and empower its team members since 2021.

The company is further promoting diversity and equal opportunity in its workforce through inclusive leadership training, a manager development program, a mentorship pilot program and other initiatives.

When it comes to promoting health, Lidl shared that it identified 11 critical raw materials and committed to setting responsible sourcing targets for each group of items. The company set third-party certification requirements for all private label palm oil, chocolate, fish and shellfish items, and launched an annual CSR purchasing training requirement for its buying team to educate on climate, raw materials and product packaging topics.

Neckarsulm, Germany-based Lidl operates more than 12,000 stores and is active in 32 countries, employing more than 360,000 employees globally. Lidl US, which runs 170-plus stores across nine east coast states and Washington, D.C., is No. 91 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.