Lidl, one of the largest retailers, and WWF, one of the world’s largest independent conservation organisations, announced the start of a new five-year international and strategic partnership active in 31 countries.

The long-term cooperation with WWF will focus on working along Lidl’s value chain, thereby helping to address the global ecological challenges of our time, ensuring that more households have access to more sustainable choices and encouraging business models that work in harmony with nature and within planetary boundaries.

The partnership is a new cornerstone in the commitment to sustainability that Lidl has been driving forward for years as part of its international sustainability strategy. The common goal of this partnership is to enable customers to make even more sustainable choices.

“Joining forces“

Christoph Pohl, Chief Purchasing Officer at Lidl International commented:

“In our role as one of the largest food retailers, we are aware of our responsibility and our influence. We take responsibility with the aim of doing business within planetary boundaries. For Lidl, sustainable management is not only a question of attitude, but also the basis for the future viability of our business model."

"With the support and expertise of WWF, we will now take our commitment to sustainability to the next level. We can only overcome major global challenges such as climate change and nature loss by working together. That's why we believe in strong partnerships to work together to provide more sustainable choices.”

Kirsten Schuijt, Director General WWF International, adds:

“The way we produce and consume food and energy is one of the leading drivers of nature loss and climate change. In order to halt and reverse what is the biggest crisis facing humanity today, we need bold and urgent actions towards changing our food and energy systems, and the food and retail sector has a big role to play in driving this change."

"As one of the largest retailers, Lidl has enormous international leverage to drive sustainable change in the food and retail industry. WWF is proud to accompany Lidl on this journey on which we will both support and challenge the retailer.”

Acting stronger together in 31 countries

This latest development follows last year’s announcement that Lidl GB had become the first discount supermarket to sign WWF’s Retailers’ Commitment for Nature – an agreement to work with WWF to halve the environmental impact of UK shopping baskets by 2030.

Lidl and WWF have also been working together already across other individual markets, for example in Switzerland and Austria, over the last few years. The new partnership expands the scope of this work globally, to accelerate sustainability at an international level. Lidl has set itself the goal of making sustainable shopping even easier for its customers worldwide in the future and to work together with WWF to provide more sustainable choices and thus actively shape the sustainable transformation. The partnership with WWF will support this goal through focusing on the following key areas:

• Conservation and promotion of biodiversity

• Responsible management of water resources

• Climate protection through science-based climate targets

• Building and expanding traceable, deforestation-free and conversion-free supply chains

• Responsible sourcing of critical raw materials such as palm oil, soy, cocoa, tea, coffee, wood, and paper products

• Responsible sourcing of fish and seafood and safeguarding of critical fishing grounds and stocks

• Engaging in advocacy for more conscious, sustainable diets and consumption

• Reduction of food waste

In addition to Lidl’s engagement along its own value chain, the company will support various WWF conservation projects to help protect the environment in regions it sources from.

Above Photo:

Thomas Vellacott, CEO WWF CH, Christoph Pohl, Head of Purchasing Lidl International and Kirsten Schuijt, Director General WWF International (from left) // Photo: WWF