METRO provides more transparency about product carbon footprints

As of now, METRO is introducing an innovative tool for greater climate transparency across its product range: modelled product carbon footprints (PCF) are being calculated for all products and will initially be made available to major customers at METRO Germany on request. This means that, for the first time, CO₂ emission figures for each product are being made visible – from raw material extraction right through to the customer.

What is new is that this data is no longer available only in aggregate form, but can now be broken down to individual products for the first time, thereby enabling direct comparisons. Ivonne Bollow, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications, Public Policy & Responsibility, sums it up: “Until now, we could only say what the average CO₂ emissions were, but not how individual products are measured. That is precisely what is changing now: we are making emissions visible at product level, thereby creating genuine comparability for the first time”.

Greater transparency in the supply chain: Why Product Carbon Footprints are crucial

A large proportion of emissions in the food retail sector arise along the supply chain (Scope 3), particularly from purchased goods and services. This is exactly where Product Carbon Footprints come into play. This provides HoReCa customers with a robust basis for purchasing decisions. The PCF data highlights emission-related differences between products and enables sustainability criteria to be systematically integrated into purchasing. At the same time, the data supports compliance with regulatory requirements and creates transparency for restaurant and hotel guests. For METRO itself, sustainability is thus becoming a more integral part of its core business. Emissions data can be increasingly incorporated into sourcing and supplier decisions and form the basis for targeted reduction measures along the value chain, thereby contributing to the achievement of climate targets.

Practical application in everyday life

The service is initially aimed at major customers of METRO Germany, particularly those in the restaurant chains and hotel sectors. It is precisely in these sectors that concrete requirements and regulatory guidelines regarding sustainability already exist, and the need for reliable, product-specific emissions data is correspondingly high. Customers can compare the emissions of individual products and have the carbon footprint of entire shopping baskets calculated (note that deviations from actual emissions are possible). In future, product ranges can thus be managed by METRO not only on the basis of price and quality, but also specifically according to emissions figures. This creates genuine added value for HoReCa customers. They can provide concrete evidence of their sustainability performance to their guests and business partners. Transparency thus becomes a competitive factor and sustainability a verifiable unique selling point.

Methodology & Facts

The calculation is based on external databases such as Agribalyse and studies by Poore & Nemecek, combined with internal sales data, for example on origin and quantities. Emissions are uniformly stated in kilograms of CO₂ equivalent per kilogram of product. The approach is currently based on secondary data, which means deviations from actual emissions are possible. A supplement using primary data from the supply chain is planned.

Emissions data is becoming the standard

The introduction of Product Carbon Footprints at METRO is part of a trend in B2B (business-to-business) wholesale trade. Emissions data is becoming a key performance indicator alongside price, quality and availability. At the same time, transparency at product level is gaining importance in food wholesale: Product Carbon Footprints make emissions along the supply chain visible and provide a comparable basis for decision-making. For METRO, this service represents a further building block in its development as a data-driven partner for HoReCa customers in the multichannel business. The methodology is transferable to other countries beyond Germany and scalable in the future.

Interested customers can submit their PCF enquiry at any time to co2@metro.de, using the keyword “PCF”.