METRO provides more transparency about product carbon footprints

METRO is now creating greater transparency across its assortment: modelled Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs) are calculated for all products and initially made available to key customers upon request. This makes CO₂ emission values visible for individual products for the first time, from raw material extraction to the customer.

What is new is that these data are no longer available only as aggregated figures but can now be assigned to individual products, enabling direct comparisons. Ivonne Bollow, Senior Vice President Corporate Communications, Public Policy & Responsibility, summarizes it as follows: “Until now, we could only indicate average CO₂ emissions, but not how individual products compared. That is exactly what is changing now: we are making emissions visible at product level and thereby providing an additional basis for comparing products using a consistent methodology.”

Greater supply chain transparency: Why Product Carbon Footprints matter

A large share of emissions in the food trade arises within the supply chain (Scope 3), particularly from purchased goods and services. This is precisely where Product Carbon Footprints come into play. For HoReCa customers, they provide an additional data-based foundation for purchasing decisions. PCF data makes emission-related differences between products visible and can help integrate sustainability criteria more strongly into purchasing decisions. At the same time, these data support compliance with regulatory requirements and increase transparency towards guests and customers.

For METRO itself, sustainability is becoming more closely integrated into its core business. Emissions data can increasingly be incorporated into purchasing and supplier decisions and provide a basis for targeted reduction measures across the value chain, thereby contributing to the achievement of relevant climate goals.

Practical application in everyday life

The offering is initially aimed at METRO Germany’s key customers, particularly in the chain restaurant and hotel sectors. These segments already face specific sustainability requirements and regulatory obligations, creating a strong demand for robust, product-specific emissions data.

Customers can compare emissions across individual products and calculate the carbon footprint of entire shopping baskets (although deviations from actual emissions may occur). In the future, assortments can be assessed not only according to price and quality but also by taking available emissions data into consideration.

For HoReCa customers, this creates additional opportunities to integrate product-related emissions information into purchasing, reporting and communication processes. They can document and transparently present product-related emissions information to guests, customers and business partners. In this context, product-level transparency is becoming increasingly important for customers, business partners and other stakeholders.

Methodology & Facts

The calculations are based on external databases such as Agribalyse and studies by Poore & Nemecek, combined with internal sales data, including information on product origin and volumes.

Emissions are reported consistently as kilograms of CO₂ equivalent per kilogram of product. The current approach is based on secondary data, meaning that deviations from actual emissions are possible. The integration of primary data from the supply chain is planned for the future.

Emissions data is becoming the standard

The introduction of Product Carbon Footprints at METRO is part of a broader development within B2B trade. Emissions data are evolving into a key management parameter alongside price, quality and availability. At the same time, transparency at product level is gaining importance in food wholesale: Product Carbon Footprints make supply chain emissions visible and provide a comparable basis for decision-making.

For METRO, this offering represents another building block in its development as a data-driven partner for HoReCa customers in the multichannel business. The methodology can be transferred to other countries and is scalable for future expansion.

Interested customers can submit a PCF request at any time by emailing co2@metro.de, with the subject line “PCF”.