METRO recognised by CDP with prestigious A-Score for climate change

08 December 2020Download

Once again METRO has been recognised for leadership in corporate sustainability. this time by global environmental non-profit organisation CDP, securing METRO a place on its prestigious ‘A-List’ for tackling climate change.

METRO recognised with A-score by CDP
  • For the first time METRO has been recognised for taking a leadership position in corporate sustainability by the global environmental NGO CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project)
  • The company performed especially well when it comes to cut emissions, mitigate climate risks and develop the low-carbon economy
  • METRO has also been rated for Water Security as B and for Forests: With a B score for Palm Oil and Paper/Wood, a B- for Soy and C for Cattle

Once again METROs activities in the areas of corporate responsibility have been acknowledged, as the company has been recognised for leadership in corporate sustainability by global environmental non-profit organisation CDP, securing a place on its prestigious ‘A-List’ for tackling climate change. METRO was considered for its actions to cut emissions, mitigate climate risks and develop the low-carbon economy. By joining the list, METRO is one out of a small number of high-performing companies out of 5,800+ that were scored.

“For the first time we have advanced to the A-list of CDP. We are proud to be at the forefront of environmental transparency and action. The scale of the risk that society, our customers and we as a company face from climate change, deforestation and unsafe water supplies is enormous, and we know that the opportunities for action far outweigh the risks of inaction," Veronika Pountcheva, Global Director Corporate Responsibility METRO AG, says on the recently published rating. "We are happy to see that our commitment is once again being recognised and we want to motivate our partners to follow our efforts. Only together can we excel in the future by acting today.”

CDP’s annual environmental disclosure and scoring process is widely known as the gold standard of corporate environmental transparency. In 2020, over 515 investors with over US$106 trillion in assets and 150+ major purchasers with US$4 trillion in procurement spend requested companies to disclose data on environmental impacts, risks and opportunities through CDP’s platform. Over 9,600 responded – the highest number ever.

A detailed and independent methodology is used by CDP to assess these companies, allocating a score of A to D- based on the comprehensiveness of disclosure, awareness and management of environmental risks and demonstration of best practices associated with environmental leadership, such as setting ambitious and meaningful targets.

In addition to its A-ranking with climate change, METRO has also been assessed in the two areas of Water Security and Forests. For Water Security, METRO was able to maintain its B scoring. In 3 CDP Forest scores, METRO improved its rating: From a B- to now B in CDP Forest–Palm Oil and CDP Forest–Paper. In CDP Forest–Cattle METRO was rated C versus a D-rating in the previous year. With a B-, METROs Soy score remained on the same level.

All information on METROs activities in the sustainability sector can be found in the upcoming Corporate Responsibility Report – to be launched on 15 December.

METRO is a leading international wholesale company with food and non-food assortments that specialises on serving the needs of hotels, restaurants, and caterers (HoReCa) as well as independent traders. Around the world, METRO has some 16 million customers who can choose whether to shop in one of the large-format stores, order online and collect their purchases at the store or have them delivered. METRO in addition also supports the competitiveness of entrepreneurs and own businesses with digital solutions and thereby contributes to cultural diversity in retail and hospitality. Sustainability is a key pillar of METRO’s business. METRO has been listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 7 consecutive years. The company operates in 34 countries and employs more than 100,000 peo-ple worldwide. In financial year 2018/19, METRO generated sales of €27.1 billion.